Minimum Wage Increase for Private Sector and Domestic Workers in Region 9 Starting November 12
Zamboanga Peninsula – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Tuesday that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Region 9 has issued wage increase orders for private sector workers and domestic workers, effective from November 12. According to Wage Order No. RIX-22, issued on October 16, there will be a PHP30 increase in the minimum wage for workers upon the order’s effectivity. Additionally, a second tranche of a PHP13 wage hike will be implemented for retail/service establishments with 10 to 30 workers starting February 1, 2024. This wage order will directly benefit 56,848 minimum wage earners in the region.
According to Philippines News Agency, Furthermore, about 121,490 full-time wage and salary workers earning above the minimum wage may also benefit indirectly due to adjustments at the enterprise level to correct wage distortion. The new monthly wage rate for chartered cities and first-class municipalities in the region is set at PHP4,600, and PHP4,100 for other municipalities. The daily minimum wage is now PHP381 for the non-agriculture sector and retail/service establishments with 31 or more workers, and PHP368 for the agriculture sector. The revised rates represent a 9 to 13 percent increase over the current daily minimum wage rates in the region, leading to a 23 percent increase in wage-related benefits, including 13th-month pay, service incentive leave (SIL), and social security benefits such as SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG.
In addition to these changes, Wage Order No. RIX-DW-04 increases the monthly minimum wage of kasambahay (domestic workers) by PHP600, which will benefit a total of 18,984 domestic workers in the region. Approximately 13 percent of these workers are on live-in arrangements, and 87 percent are live-out. The last wage orders for workers in private establishments and domestic workers in the region were issued on June 1, 2022, and became effective on June 25, 2022.