Minimum daily wage in Bicol up by P40
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LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY, Philippines — The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Bicol (RTWPB-5) has approved a P40 daily wage increase for minimum wage earners in the region.
The wage increase will be implemented in two tranches: a P20 increase effective on April 5 and another P20 on Dec. 3, bringing the new daily minimum wage from P395 to P435, said Imelda Gratino, Department of Labor and Employment Bicol director, in a press conference on Tuesday.
Gratino said the decision followed a comprehensive review of economic data, including the rising cost of living, inflation, and business conditions in the region.
READ: Proposed P200 minimum wage hike needs further study – Marcos
“The wage order was signed on March 10, 2025, and confirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC). It will take effect on April 5, 2025, following 15 days after its publication on March 20, 2025,” she said.
Domestic workers or kasambahays in the Bicol and Zamboanga Peninsula regions were also granted a P1,000 and up P900 wage increase, respectively, bringing the monthly kasambahay pay in Bicol to P6,000 and in Zamboanga Peninsula to P5,000, according to the NWPC.
Beneficiaries
Approximately 100,414 minimum wage earners will benefit from the wage increase in Bicol, Gratino said.
On the other hand, 94,042 domestic workers in Bicol and nearly 19,000 domestics in Zamboanga Peninsula will benefit from the latest monthly wage increase, the NWPC added.
The Bicol and Zamboanga Peninsula wage boards shall undertake information campaigns to ensure compliance of employers and enterprises with the new wage orders, help enterprises address wage distortions, and recommend productivity improvement programs and gainsharing schemes to support wage growth, especially in areas with low productivity, the NWPC said.
Retail and service establishments regularly employing not more than 10 workers, and enterprises affected by natural calamities and/or human-induced disasters, may apply for exemption from the wage increase in accordance with NWPC’s existing rules.
Registered Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBEs) are not covered by the minimum wage law pursuant to Republic Act No. 9178.
On March 7, various management representatives, workers, and kasambahay from different private companies and sectors gathered in Naga City, Camarines Sur, for a public hearing on the proposed minimum wage adjustment for private sector workers and kasambahay. This was followed by a public hearing in Legazpi City, Albay, on March 10.
During the hearings, RTWPB V board secretary VI Francia Ocmer presented data highlighting the disparity between the current minimum wage and the poverty threshold. The poverty threshold, which defines the minimum income required for a family or individual to meet basic food and non-food needs, is set at P460.
This posed a challenge for minimum wage workers, as their previous daily pay fell short by P65. This gap has been a major factor contributing to the financial struggles of families living below the poverty line. —with a report from Jetrude Nasayao
