ZAMBOANGA CITY, Nov. 6 (PIA) – Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Zamboanga Peninsula (RTWPB)-9 declares an uplifting adjustment in minimum wages for those employed in the private sector and for domestic workers or kasambahays.
The significant move aims at enhancing the economic well-being of workers that brings about a positive transformation in the lives of countless individuals contributing to the region’s workforce.
Workers in the private sector will witness a notable increase of approximately Php30.00 in their daily minimum wages while the salary for the kasambahay was increased by about P600 monthly. RTWPB-9 had issued Wage Order numbers R9-22 and R9-DW-04, prescribing the minimum wage increase for workers working in the private sector from Php351.00 to Php381.00 daily while for the kasambahay is P4,600 effective on November 12, 2023.
Nasipa Sapii, a mall employee in Zamboanga City expressed her gratitude emphasizing that the increase is a substantial support, “it is a big help for me because it is an additional budget to buy my basic needs essential,” she added.
The Department of Labor and Employment 9 Regional Director Albert Gutib admitted that they have not received any petition for a minimum wage adjustment filed by workers working in a private firm in the region. However, he stressed that in the absence of any petition from workers working in the private sector, the RTWPB-9 Board may on motu proprio initiate a wage review pursuant to Section 3(A), Rule II of the Omnibus Rules on Minimum Wage Determination.
The decision reflects a meticulous evaluation of economic factors, cost of living, and the genuine need to uplift the standard of living for the region’s workforce. It stands as a testament to the commitment of the RTWPB to create a more equitable and just working environment for all. This move is not merely a numerical adjustment but a manifestation of a collective effort to build a more inclusive and prosperous future for the workforce of Zamboanga Peninsula. (NBE/EDT/MLE/PIA9-Zamboanga City)
