ILOILO – As Labor Day approaches on May 1, private sector workers in Region 6 are left wondering whether they will receive any good news regarding wage increases.
According to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 6 director Atty. Sixto Rodriguez Jr., no immediate wage hikes are expected as the region’s last wage order has not yet reached its one-year mark.
Rodriguez clarified that under the current labor law, a wage increase cannot be requested until one year has passed since the last issuance of a wage order.
The most recent wage increase – Wage Order Number RBVI-28 – took effect on November 17, 2024.
“The wage order issued in November 2024 has not reached the one-year rule or ban,” Rodriguez stressed.
At present, no labor groups or private sector unions have filed petitions for further wage hikes in the region, likely due to awareness of the one-year restriction.
The current minimum wage as outlined in the November 2024 wage order are as follows:
Non-agriculture, industrial, and commercial sectors:
* Employing more than 10 workers – P513
* Employing 10 or fewer workers – P485
Agriculture sector:
* P480
In addition to the private sector wage increase last November 2024, a separate adjustment for domestic workers also took effect. Under Wage Order No. RBVI-DW-06, the minimum wage for domestic workers, or kasambahays, was raised from P5,000 to P6,000 per month./PN
