Mimaropa workers to get pay hike

MANILA, Philippines — Minimum wage earners in Mimaropa are getting an increase in their daily take-home pay, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced yesterday.

The DOLE said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) approved an increase of P40 starting Dec. 7.

The National Wages and Productivity Commission affirmed the wage order on Nov. 10.

The pay hike brings the daily minimum wage rate in the region to P395 in establishments with 10 or more workers and P369 in companies with less than 10 workers.

The new rates translate to an increase of up to 12 percent in the daily minimum wage in the region. It also results in an increase of  23 percent in wage-related benefits covering 13th-month pay, service incentive leaves and social security benefits.

The DOLE said 46,861 minimum wage earners in Mimaropa would directly benefit from the pay increase.

Aside from minimum wage earners, 113,324 full-time wage and salary workers may indirectly benefit as a result of upward adjustments at the enterprise level arising from the correction of wage distortion.

The wage board also issued an order increasing the minimum salary of domestic workers by P1,000.

The DOLE said the wage increase would bring the monthly salary of kasambahays to P5,500.  It will benefit 28,269 domestic workers.