• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The new minimum wage rates for workers in the private sector and domestic helpers across Western Visayas are officially in force, following the affirmation of the wage orders by the National Wages and Productivity Commission.
The implementation, led by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board Region VI, aims to provide financial relief to employees grappling with the rising cost of commodities in the region.
Under Wage Order No. RBVI-29, daily minimum wage earners will receive an increase ranging from P37 to P40.
The adjustment revises the new daily minimum rates across the non-agriculture and agriculture sectors, covering the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental, including the highly urbanized cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.
Specifically, the new daily minimum wage for the non-agriculture, industrial, and commercial sectors is set at P550 for establishments employing more than 10 workers, up from the previous rate of P513.
For businesses employing 10 workers or less, the new rate is P525.
Meanwhile, workers in the agriculture sector will now receive a daily minimum wage of P520, an increase from the previous P480.
A separate measure, Wage Order No. RBVI-DW-07, also took effect yesterday, raising the monthly minimum wage for domestic workers in Western Visayas to P6,500.
The increase, which represents a P500 adjustment, is intended to help household workers cope with the cost of living.*
