DAVAO CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional office will strictly monitor the compliance of establishments with the new minimum wage order, which mandates a P38 minimum wage increase.

“We are mandated to monitor, implement, and keep track of those establishments, considering that the mandate of DOLE is to have visitorial regulatory power. We regulate those establishments that are and are not following (new wage order),” said Atty. Randolf Pensoy, DOLE-XI regional director, during his guesting at the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum held on March 11 at SM City Davao.

Pensoy said they have labor inspection monitoring and visitorial power. Aside from visiting and regulating the establishments, they can act on reports of establishments not following the minimum wage adjustments.

“Naa ta labor inspectors na mubisita,  mutan-aw sa mga establisyemento if they are in compliance with the new wage order,” Pensoy said.

(We have labor inspectors who visit and check on the establishments to see  if they are in compliance with the new wage order.)

Pensoy said that those found violating the minimum wage orders and erring establishments will be slapped with increased penalties.

“Republic Act 8188, or an Act Increasing the Penalty and Imposing the Double Indemnity For the Violation of the Prescribed Increases or Adjustments in the Wage Rates, in this particular amendment law, the indemnity for the violation of a particular employer is doubled, and you are also penalized imprisonment of not less than two years and a maximum of four years. Not only that, you can be fined not less than P25,000 and not more than P100,000,” Pensoy said.

New Wage Order

Issued by the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB) onFeb. 19, 2024, and taking effect on March 6, 2024, the Wage Order RBXI-22 provides a P38 increase in the minimum wage in the region and will be implemented in two tranches. The P19 first tranche took effect on March 6.

Under the new wage order, the new minimum wage rate for workers in the non-agriculture sector shall be P462 per day, while for workers in the agriculture sector, it shall be P457 per day.

The second tranche under the recent wage order in the amount of P19 per day shall take effect on Sept. 1, which brings the new minimum wage rate for workers in the non-agriculture sector to P481 per day and P476 per day for agriculture sector workers.

The RTWPB XI also granted a wage increase in the minimum wage for domestic workers under Wage Order No. RBXI-DW-03, which took effect on March 6.

From the current P4,500 unvaried monthly minimum wage rate across the region, the new minimum wage rates shall be P6,000 per month for domestic workers in chartered cities and first-class municipalities and P5,000 per month for domestic workers in other municipalities. (RGA/PIA Davao)