No wage increase for Central Mindanao workers

COTABATO CITY, Philippines—The regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Mindanao told workers in the region they won’t be getting any wage hike for now because the cost of living in the area was within their reach.

The announcement came other regional wage boards nationwide had approved wage increases amid rising fuel and basic commodities prices.

Gloria Tango, however, said in a radio interview on Wednesday that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, which she chairs, is conducting public hearings to determine if there were “supervening conditions” that would merit a new round of wage increases.

She said if it was determined during the hearings that there was a need to increase wages, then workers may get it in November.

Tango said based on their assessments, there was no reason for workers in the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Saranggani, South Cotabato and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Koronadal, Tacurong and Gen. Santos City to get additional pay for now in the absence of any “supervening condition” to alter the situation.

Tango said a supervening condition could occur if the cost of living in the region—which she did not specify in pesos and centavos—has increased abnormally.

She admitted that based on government data, prices of basic commodities have slightly increased but the purchasing power of the public remains high.

Unless prices went beyond the reach of consumers, Tango said no supervening condition would occur.

“If [prices go too high], then the board would automatically issue new wage order even without petitions for wage increase,” she said.

Tango said even laborers themselves have not asked the RTWPB to increase wages.

She said her office, in coordination with the regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry, was closely monitoring the prices of basic commodities, fuel and fare increases.

The last adjustment received by workers in the region was in October when the RTWPB granted an additional P15 in the cost-of-living allowance.

The additional COLA brought the minimum daily wage rate in the region to P260 for non-agriculture workers, P240 for plantation workers, P235 for non-plantation workers, P240 for retail/service establishments employing not more than 10 workers and P234 for retail/service establishments employing less than 10 people.

Nationwide, only Central Mindanao has not issued a new wage order since January this year.

The RTWPB in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao issued last Monday a new wage order granting a P10 increase in the cost-of-living allowance for workers there.