Bicol workers to get P30 wage hike

LEGAZPI CITY – Workers based in the Bicol region will receive an increase in their salaries effective September 21.

Lawyer Alvin Villamor, Department of Labor and Employment Bicol director, said the wage hike which ranges from P20 to P30 would be given in two tranches.

“The first P15 is set to be given on September 21, 2018, for all establishments regardless of the number of workers and another increase of P5 and P15 on May 1, 2019, for those employing 10 workers and above and those employing one to nine workers, respectively,” he said.

With this increase of the minimum wage, P290 will become P310 for establishments with 10 workers and above. For those employing one to nine workers with a minimum wage of P280, the salaries will become P310.

The wage hike in Bicol was affirmed and approved by the National Wages and Productivity Commission and Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board Region V after a series of consultations and public hearing by the board.

“The adjustment of the minimum wage rate is one of the measures of the government to provide workers with immediate relief from high prices of basic goods and services,” Villamor said.

Bicol region was hit the hardest in the country with the highest inflation rate of nine percent according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The region suffers the highest increase in prices of fish, rice, vegetables, and meat after the national inflation rate was recorded at 6.4 percent last Wednesday.