The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) is set to issue a decision on whether or not it will grant a wage increase in the Cordillera.
The RTWPB has initiated the consultations with the employers’ and employees’ representatives, since no petition was filed for a wage increase from the labor sector in region, according to Department of Labor and Employment Director and RTWPB Chair Nathaniel Lacambra.
The first meeting was conducted on May 18 and the next meeting will be on May 23. By May 24, the RTWPB would announce a decision, Lacambra said.
The last wage hike in the Cordillera was in 2019.
The minimum wage for Baguio, La Trinidad, Benguet, and Tabuk City, Kalinga is P350 daily for a minimum of eight hours work rendered, and includes the P10 cost of living allowance (COLA).
The minimum wage in Bangued, Abra; Bontoc and Sagada, Mountain Province; Lagawe, Ifugao; Buguias, Itogon, Mankayan, Tuba, and Tublay all in Benguet and other areas in the region is P340 daily including P10 COLA.
The RTWPBs of the National Capital Region and Western Visayas recently granted a wage hike, which will take effect on June 4 and 5, respectively.
The minimum wage in Metro Manila will soon be P570 and P533 for workers in the non-agriculture and agriculture sectors, respectively.
The minimum wage in Western Visayas is P410.
The wage hike granted in some regions is to cushion the impact of soaring prices of goods and fuel. – Rimaliza A. Opiña
