ILOILO City — Most employers in Western Visayas have acknowledged that private sector workers deserve a wage increase due to soaring inflation and rising fuel prices, but they are urging the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) to grant a smaller adjustment than the proposed P250 daily increase and postpone its implementation until economic conditions improve.
The position emerged during the RTWPB Region 6’s Regional Stakeholders’ Dialogue on the proposed P250 minimum wage increase held on July 21 in Iloilo City, where the majority of employers recognized the need for higher wages while expressing concern over the timing and magnitude of the proposed adjustment.
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 6 director Atty. Sixto Rodriguez Jr., who chairs the RTWPB-6, said only two employers objected to any wage increase, while the rest generally supported raising workers’ salaries but opposed granting the full P250 increase immediately.
“Ni-recognize naman nila. Some of them objected but not total objection kasi mayroon namang data or basis. Kaya lang gusto nila ‘yong timing not yet the proper time at kung maaari ay hindi sa ngayon, medyo i-delay ng kaunti. They agreed but not that much also,” Rodriguez told Panay News.
Rodriguez said employers instead proposed an increase equivalent to only five to 15 percent of the requested P250 daily adjustment.
During the dialogue, representatives from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Department of Energy, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Economy, Planning, and Development presented socioeconomic indicators to help determine whether current economic conditions qualify as a supervening event that could justify a wage adjustment ahead of the regular wage review.
Rodriguez said the RTWPB would now evaluate whether sufficient factual basis exists to support the petition before deciding whether to conduct public consultations and hearings.
“Ito ba ay araw-araw or continuous at kailangan na talagang magtaas. Ang problema kasi natin ay wala pa sa period to really review ‘yung ating wage order kasi sinasabi ng batas we can review the petition for wage order prior to its anniversary. Ang anniversary is September 20, malapit-lapit na nga,” he explained.
If the board fails to issue a new wage order before Sept. 20, Rodriguez said it could still initiate a review motu proprio starting on the anniversary of the current wage order.
He added that the RTWPB has historically issued a wage order every year but emphasized that the board must first determine whether prevailing economic conditions justify another increase and, if so, how much should be granted.
The RTWPB-6 has received four wage petitions this year, all seeking a P250 daily increase. The petitions were separately filed by the United Labor Western Visayas Alliance, the Iloilo Doctors Hospital Employees Union, and BPO Industry Employees Network, and the Iloilo Pepsi Cola Workers Independent Union, citing inflation, global oil supply disruptions, and the increasing cost of living as grounds for the proposed wage adjustment./PN
