Wage board okays pay hikes of central Mindanao workers

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Central Mindanao has approved a wage increase of between P10 to P14 for workers in the region.

The new wage order will take effect in May, which makes the increase a Labor Day gift to the region’s workers, according to the Department of Labor and Employment.

But militant groups characterized the increase as a pittance, considering that it was not even a fourth of their demand for an increase of P125 in the minimum daily wage.

Chona Mantilla, DOLE-12 director, told reporters here the wage increase was approved  during a meeting of the wage board on Monday.

She said from P260, non-agricultural workers will now receive a daily wage of P270.

For agricultural workers, whose daily minimum wage currently stands at P275, the board gave a P14 increase.  But it will be implemented in two stages: P8 in May and the remaining P4 in December.

For retail and service establishments with more than 10 employees, the rate increase was P10, she said, while for those with 10 employees or less, the mandated increase would be P12.

Newly established businesses and those operating in areas under state of calamity would be exempted from the new wage order.

Ryan Lariba, spokesperson of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in the region, assailed the wage order as a pittance.

Lariba said the reality was that a family of six needs at least P700 each day to live decently.

Mantilla said the regional wage board was being fair to all sectors.

“Our constant main indicators in coming up with the increase are the needs of workers and the capacity to pay of employers,” Mantilla said.

She said the board could not possibly grant the P125 increase being sought by militant labor groups because “it is just too high.”

“If we are going to adopt this, many businesses would shut down and others may resort to retrenchments,” Mantilla said.