Romeo R. Arica, DOLE RTWPB Board Member assisted the group of domestic workers in their discussion for their proposed minimum wage adjustment. DOLE Regional and Provincial staff facilitated the private employers and workers group of discussions.
SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) — More than 100 private employers and workers from the southern part of the province voted for a minimum wage increase during the recently held Public Hearing on Minimum Wage Adjustment spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Tripartite Wagers and Productivity Board (RTWPB).
Forty-five (45) domestic workers proposed a P1,500 increase for their current monthly floor wages, “Sana po taasan ang minimum wage mula sa P4,500 to P6,000 kasi ang P4,500 ay kulang na kulang sa lugar namin lalo sa [mga] pamilyado dahil sa sobrang mahal ng bilihin at biglang taas ng [presyo] ng kuryente,” Rose Anne Salazar said, representing the group.
The private employees, comprising 42 participants, requested a P70 raise, while the employers suggested a P25 increase in the daily minimum wage for non-agriculture companies.
Public hearing is part of the consultation process involving the stakeholders and other sectors that will be affected by the wage adjustment.
RTWPB Chairperson and DOLE Regional Director Naomi Lyn Abellana explained that knowing the pulse of the workers and employers is a vital part of the minimum wage adjustment process, “Hindi naman pwdeng opinion lang [naming mga board] ang makukuha. Dapat may opinion ng mga manggagawa at opinon ng mga kapitalista.”
Abellana added that the board reviews the workers’ minimum wage annually based on the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) reports of prevailing prices of basic commodities and economic status.
Joel C. De Veyra, RTWPB Board Member reiterated that the adjustments should be a balance between the employers’ capacity to pay, the workers’ needs, and the economy’s situation.
“Kapag masyadong malaki ang increase, inflationary rin yun. It will result to an additional inflation ayon sa NEDA mismo yun. Kasi kapag tumaas ang sahod, magmamahal din ang bilihin…kasi idadagdag mo yun sa cost of production kaya [magiging] balewala ‘yung increase. Kaya kailangan balance,” de Veyra explained.
RTWPB Chairperson Abellana shared that before a new minimum wage rate is set for Mimaropa region, a public hearing for each province and major cities should be done as part of data gathering process, “Kung ano ang resulta ng hearing namin…lahat ng information na makukuha namin, pag-uusapan po yan ng Labor at ng Management [sector]. Baka by November makagawa na tayo ng bagong sahuran.’Yon po ang time frame…Hindi kasi yan padalos dalos na desisyon.”
The current minimum wage set in Mimaropa region in accordance to Wage Order No. RB-MIMAROPA-10 issued in June 10, 2022 is P4,500 a month for domestic workers, P355 for establishments with 10 workers and above, and P329 for establishments with less than 10 employees. (DSG/PIA Mimaropa-OccMdo)
