CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Central Luzon’s Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) has approved a P20 increase in minimum wage for workers in the region effective Aug. 1.
Zenaida Angara- Campita, director of the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Luzon, said the P20 additional daily minimum wage would take effect in the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales where wages would increase from P380 to P400.
“Aurora’s daily minimum wage, on the other hand, will be implemented in two tranches, from P329 to P339 by August 1 and from P339 to P349 six months later,” Campita said.
She said these adjustments only pertain to non-agricultural establishments with an employment size of 10 or more workers.
“The new regional minimum wage will vary across industries as indicated on the matrix specified in the order and its implementing rules,” she explained.
Non – agricultural firms’ rates will vary based on those employing 10 or more workers and those with less than 10 workers, she added.
Meanwhile, minimum wages will also vary for plantation and non-plantation agribased firms, as well as for retail or service firms with 16 or more workers and those with less than 16 workers.
Campita said the new wage order is a result of the RTWPB consultations with labor and management representatives from different industries in Central Luzon,
“After our careful review of the prevailing socio-economic conditions of the entire region, together with the results of our public consultations across sectors, we acknowledged the need to help workers cope up with the rising cost of living brought by the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion Law implementation and fuel hikes by providing them with relief without impairing the viability of businesses and industries, taking into account the need for investment, competitiveness of the region, and job creation and preservation,” Campita said.
She also noted that “the RTWPB deemed it best to increase the minimum wage at reasonable and equitable levels in light of the regional poverty threshold level vis-àvis, average wage, along with the need to promote performance-based incentive schemes under the Two-Tier Wage System.”
The new minimum wage shall apply to workers receiving the minimum wage in the region regardless of their position, employment status, and how their wages are paid, Campita added.
