BACOLOD City — The Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) has officially filed a petition to contest the proposed labor wage increase in Western Visayas, submitting their appeal to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB).
According to MBCCI chief executive officer Frank Carbon, the petition was filed on October 15, with a hearing set for October 21 at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall here.
The business group is appealing to the wage board to maintain the current minimum wage, arguing that further increases could have detrimental effects on the region’s economy.
The group’s position paper highlights their request for the RTWPB to institutionalize wage control mechanisms, particularly proposing that future wage hikes be capped at the regional inflation rate starting in 2025.
They also urged the board to consider the economic disruptions caused by arbitrary wage adjustments.
Under Wage Order RBVI-27, which took effect on November 16, 2023, the current minimum wage rates in Western Visayas are:
* non-agriculture (more than 10 workers) – P480
* non-agriculture (10 workers or fewer) – P450
* agriculture – P440
These rates apply to the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental, as well as the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.
The MBCCI recalled that back in 2022, the wage increase of P110 per day for non-agricultural workers and P95 for agricultural workers in Region 6 was already significantly higher than adjustments made in other regions, such as Region 7, where increases over two years amounted to only P31 and P33, respectively.
They contended that Region 6’s wage increase in 2022 was already equivalent to a 36% rise, far exceeding the 8% inflation rate in the region and higher than the 8% wage increase in Region 7, which has a higher gross domestic product (GDP).
Carbon pointed out that the drastic wage hike in 2022 has led to economic challenges, including an increase in the region’s inflation rate, which reached 3.4% in September 2024, the highest in the country.
He emphasized that without proper wage control, the region risks becoming uncompetitive and less attractive to investors, potentially leading to reduced work hours and job cuts.
The group also called on the wage board to focus on addressing inflation and boosting worker productivity as a means to protect consumption and ensure economic stability.
Meanwhile, Wennie Sancho, a former labor representative to the RTWPB-6, commented that the recent pronouncements regarding a wage hike were premature and confusing, noting that no specific amount had been announced and that the scheduled hearing had yet to take place.
The hearing on October 21 will be crucial in determining whether the proposed wage adjustments will proceed or be deferred as per the MBCCI’s appeal./PN
