MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called for the convening of the regional wage boards all over the country to discuss the possible increase in the salary of workers now reeling from the increased prices of oil and rice.

"Because in the increase in cost in the price of fuel and rice, we are calling for a meeting of the regional wage boards all over the country so that every region discussed on how we help the workers cope with the rising price of oil and rice," Arroyo said in a speech Monday in a visit to the Yazaki-Torres Manufacturing Plant in Calamba City, Laguna.

Workers in the private sector in Metro Manila received a P12 increase in their daily wage last August 28 under Wage Order No. 13, bringing the daily basic pay to P362 from the previous P350.

The Metro Manila Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board also approved the integration of P50 cost of living allowance into the worker's basic salary.

Wage boards approve different increases per region depending on the cost of living in the area.

Under labor laws, a one year period from the last wage order issued must be maintained unless there are urgent factors that constitute "supervening conditions."

Last week, Arroyo announced that she would sign an executive order granting a 10-percent wage increase to the country's more than one million state workers.