Mindanao workers to get balance of allowance but still no wage hike

DAVAO CITY , Philippines—There will be no wage hike for Southern Mindanao workers as of yet but they will start receiving the remaining P10 of the P15 cost of living allowance (COLA) granted to them last December in time for the Labor Day.

Employers had asked the Department of Labor and Employment  to allow them to release the approved P15 Cola in two tranches, citing financial difficulties. The first tranche, which was P5 per day, was reflected in workers’ payrolls in January.

Joffrey Suyao, regional DOLE director, said the release of the remaining COLA would effectively change wages in the non-agriculture sector to P310 per day from the previous P291.

Those working in the agriculture sector will get P291 from the previous P281 and for the retail sector firms employing not more than 10 workers, the wage would become P270 by May 1, he said.

Suyao said despite the rise in the cost of commodities, the DOLE could not easily grant wage hikes to workers in the provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley and cities within Southern Mindanao because it would be against the law to do so.

“Under the law, no new wage order can be granted within one year from the time a wage order is issued unless there are supervening conditions like an unprecedented increase in oil prices showing no indication of easing,” Suyao said.

Asked if DOLE was sure the remaining COLA would be given by all employers, Suyao said they could not possibly monitor compliance. But he said DOLE has always been reminding employers to give what is due their employees.

Suyao said there have not been many complaints from workers regarding the previous wage order. He said most establishments have complied with the previous wage order.