CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reminded anew employers in Central Luzon to comply with the newly issued wage order for minimum wage earners which took effect last January 1, 2020.
Wage Order No. RBIII-22 grants a PhP20 increase per day to the existing minimum wage in the region.
“The new rate that is effective on the first day of 2020 applies to all minimum wage earners in the private sector regardless of position, employment status, and how their wages are paid,” DOLE Regional Director and Regional Wage Board Chairperson Zenaida Angara-Campita said.
Under Wage Order No. RBIII-22, the prevailing minimum wage for non-agricultural establishments employing 10 or more workers in the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales will increase from PhP400 to PhP420 per day while those with less than 10 workers shall pay their employees at least PhP413 daily.
In the province of Aurora, workers in the non-agriculture sector will receive a minimum daily salary of PhP369 from the previous rate of PhP349.
Meanwhile, for the agricultural sector in Central Luzon except Aurora, PhP390 and PhP374 are the new minimum rates for plantation and non-plantation, respectively. Workers in plantation and non-plantation in Aurora will receive at least P3hP54 and PhP342, respectively.
Upon effectivity of the new wage order, retail service employees in Aurora will receive PhP304 daily at the minimum. In other provinces, PhP409 and PhP395 will be applied for establishments with 10 or more workers and establishments with less than 10 workers, respectively.
Angara-Campita noted that these adjustments are agreed by the Wage Board whose members include the Regional Directors of Department of Trade and Industry and National Economic and Development Authority and representatives from labor and management.
“The board did its best to balance both the interest of workers and employers. The additional take home pay of workers is in response to inflation and rising cost of living without, of course, impeding the growth of businesses,” Angara-Campita explained.
Not covered by the wage order include household helpers and persons employed in the personal service of another as well as workers of Barangay Micro Business Enterprises with Certificate of Authority pursuant to Republic Act 9178.
After the affirmation from the National Wages and Productivity Board, Wage Order No. RBIII-22 was issued and published in a regional newspaper on December 17, 2019.
Wage Order No. RBIII-22 takes precedence over Wage Order No. RBIII-21, which took effect on August 1, 2018.