MANILA, Philippines – The Regional Tripartrite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in the National Capital Region (NCR) officially released Friday afternoon Wage Order No. 14 granting a P20 increase in the daily wages for private sector workers in Metro Manila.

The order increases the highest minimum daily wage rate in the NCR from P362 to P382.

The order was released a day after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced the wage increase before the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop).

NCR labor director Raymundo Agravante said the wage hike consists of P15 increase in the minimum daily pay and P5 cost-of-living-allowance (COLA).

The wage order covers all minimum wage earners in the region regardless of the position they hold and the methods with which they are paid. Excluded from the wage order are household helpers.

During the press conference, Agravante explained he did not feel any pressure on deciding the wage increase even after Arroyo’s announcements the previous day.

Agravante explained that President Arroyo’s announcement was based on the RTWPB’s preliminary deliberations.

He explained that the delay in the release of the wage order was because they had to take into consideration the employers’ capacity to raise the pay of their workers.

Agravante added the granting of P15 additional daily pay will become effective 15 days after the publication of the wage order while the P5 COLA will be integrated into the minimum daily wage of workers on August 28.

Meanwhile, National Wages and Productivity Commission executive director Ciriaco Lagunzad III said the increase would not worsen inflation or the unemployment rate in the country.

“The Board took into account the fact that the increase covers only minimum wage earners, who are estimated to be just around 27% of the total wage and salary workers in the NCR,” Lagunzad said in the NWPC press release. There are 195,000 private establishments and 589,000 minimum wage workers in the NCR.

Companies can file for exemption from the wage order provided that they are “under distress” and if the company’s total assets, including those which are loaned but excluding the land on which the establishment is situated, are not more than P3 million.

Retail or service establishments with no more than 1o regular employees and micro/small indigenous exporters certified by the Export Development Council may also file for exemption. Lastly, businesses which have been “adversely affected by natural calamities” may also be exempted.

Workers’ groups not satisfied by the provisions of the wage order can file a formal appeal not later than 10 days after the publication of the order.

“The Commission is always ready to receive appeals and from our experience we have received a number of appeals,” said Lagunzad.

However, he said no wage order has ever been reverted. He also clarified that the effectivity of the wage order would not be affected by any appeal filed by any aggrieved party.

On the other hand, Lagunzad said that workers should not lose faith in the RTWPB, which he called an “institution of democracy.” He added that all sectors were well represented in the board and that the sides of both the employees and employers were well considered.

Five other regional boards -- Regions II, III, IV-B, VIII and XII -- are also expected to release wage orders by next week. The rest, according to Lagunzad, will release wage orders for their region by the end of the month.