Wage hikes OKd in 2 regions

WORKERS in Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon will get increases in their daily wages on Labor Day, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Monday.

In a press briefing, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said a P45 rise in the minimum wage in all five provinces of Cagayan Valley was approved by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board.

Baldoz also said the second of its two-part wage order, or an additional P7, in Central Luzon would take effect on May 1. In the first tranche, which was implemented on Jan. 1 this year, workers received an P8 increase.

According to the National Wages and Productivity Commission, workers in Cagayan Valley will be receiving P264-P300 in daily minimum wage rate from P219 to P255. In Central Luzon, the pay rate ranges from P238 to P357.

Baldoz noted that the workers in Cagayan Valley deserved the raise since there had been not any over the last two years.

“Also on May 1, the second tranche of the P20 wage increase in the minimum wage in Aurora will take effect, thereby bringing the minimum wage in that province higher than the poverty threshold,” she said.

The increase will bring to P326 the minimum salary for workers in the province starting May 1.

As for the petition of Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) seeking a P154 across-the-board wage increase for all workers in Metro Manila, Baldoz said she hoped that the National Capital Region (NCR) Wage Board would arrive at a decision before the end of May.

“I just hope that the board will be fast enough after the conclusion of hearing to deliberate on the result of the public hearing,” the labor chief said.

The wage board has already set the public hearing on TUCP’s petition for May 11, Nelson Hornilla, DOLE-NCR director, told reporters on Monday. “We will be meeting after the public hearing to deliberate again and heed the call of Secretary Baldoz to hasten the process,” he said.

On Labor Day, the DOLE has scheduled 54 job fair sites nationwide, offering more than 120,000 employment opportunities. Of the job vacancies, nearly 50,000 are based locally, more than 73,000 are overseas, and 510 are positions in the government.

More than 86 percent of the vacancies are for the services sector while almost 14 percent are for the industry sector.

“A small portion is also available for the agriculture sector,” Baldoz said.