TACLOBAN CITY, July 26 (PIA) — Regional Director Yahya Centi of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Region 8 announced on Wednesday, July 24 the newly signed Wage Order No. RB VIII-21 prescribing the new minimum wage rates in Eastern Visayas.
According to Director Centi, the newly signed wage order went through massive consultation, extensive studies and rigorous debates among stakeholders.
The wage order is giving additional P20 to all minimum wage earners in the entire region by two tranches.
The P10 wage hike will be implemented upon effectivity of the said wage order and the other P10 on the seventh month thereafter making P325 as the new minimum wage for workers in retail or service under non-agriculture sector.
The P20 wage increase will be effective after 15 days from general publication of the wage order which is currently with the National Wages and Productivity Commission for further comments.
“The board decided to give the wage increase by tranche considering the socio-economic indicators and the capacity of the employers to pay,” said Centi.
The compliance rate on the implementation of the minimum wage in the region is 94.6 percent according to Centi, who also serves as the chairman of the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB).
He added that there was no singular verified strike that happened in the region.
DOLE has regularized more than 47 thousand workers in the entire Philippines in 2018.
In 2018, DOLE 8 has attained its target to regularize workers in the region.
According to Director Centi, as of June 30 this year, 1,140 workers or 13 percent of the 9,000 target are now regularized. (NBQ/RSP/PIA-8)
