BAGUIO CITY—The Cordillera Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board has approved a P15 to P25 daily wage increase for minimum wage earners covering all industries in the region, effective 15 days after the wage order’s publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
Augusto Aquillo, RTWPB-CAR board secretary, explained workers in Tabuk City received the highest daily wage increase at P25, wherein P10 was included in their previous basic pay of P265 plus an additional P15 in their cost of living allowance or COLA.
That made the new daily wage at P290 for all industries employing 11 or more workers. Those employed in industries having 10 workers and below will be receiving a P280 daily wage, with the P10 added basic pay and P15 COLA from their previous P255 daily pay.
Under Wage Order No. RB-CAR No. 18, workers in industries employing 11 workers or more in Baguio and La Trinidad will be receiving P300 daily wage from the previous P285. Those in industries employing 10 or less workers in the same area will be receiving P285 daily wage from the previous P270.
Those in industries employing 11 or more workers in Tabuk City, Bangued, Abra, Bontoc, Mountain Province, Lagawe and Banaue in Ifugao, Buguias and Tublay in Benguet, and Bauko and Sagada in Mountain Province, the daily minimum wage will be P290 from the previous P275.
Those in industries with 10 or less workers located in the same areas will be receiving a daily wage of P280 from the previous P265 daily wage.
The wage order also fixed the daily wage in other areas in the region at P280 for those employed in industries having 11 or more workers from the previous P265 and P270 daily wage for those in industries having 10 workers and below from the previous P255 daily wage.
In the areas of Itogon, Tuba, and Sablan, the order stated covered workers shall continue to receive the minimum wage rates provided by the previous wage order, comprising of P285 basic rate per day in all industries and P270 basic rate per day for micro-enterprises.
It was also provided that the minimum wage rates shall be for the normal working hours, which shall not exceed 8 hours work a day.
Covered by the new wage orders are all minimum wage earners in the Cordillera Administrative Region regardless of their position, designation or status and irrespective of the method their wages are paid.
However, those not covered by the new wage order are those employed in the personal service of another, domestic workers by Republic Act 10361, otherwise known as the Batas Kasambahay, and workers in the registered barangay micro-business enterprises with certificate of authority pursuant to RA 9178.
Aquillo explained nothing in the new wage order shall be construed to reduce or eliminate any existing wage rates, allowances and benefits of any form under existing laws, decrees, issuances, executive orders and under any contract or agreement between the works and employers or employer practices or policies being enjoyed by the workers prior to the issuance of the order.
The wage order cited the implementation of the productivity-based pay shall continue to be implemented following the guidelines provided by Advisory No. 01, series of 2013, Advisory No. 2, series of 2014 and subsequent advisories which may be issued by the board.
|In the case of private educational institutions, the wage order stipulated the share of workers and employees covered in the increase in tuition fees for school year 2017-2018 shall be considered as compliance with the order. Where the share of the workers and employees is less than what is provided in the order, the employer shall pay the difference starting school year 2018-2019.
On the other hand, private educational institutions which shall not increase their tuition fees for the current school year may defer compliance with the provisions of the wage order until the following school year.
The wage order stated applications for exemption from compliance with the order shall not be allowed, however, in case of a calamity, the board may accept applications for exemption filed by establishments adversely affected by calamities such as natural or human-induced disasters pursuant to NWPC Resolution No. 01, series of 2014.
The wage order cited the minimum wage rates of workers who, by the nature of their work, must travel shall be those applicable in the domicile or head office of the employer and the minimum wage rates of workers working in branches or agencies of establishments in or outside the region shall be those applicable in the place where they are stationed.
Complaints for non-compliance with the wage order shall be filed with the regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment–Cordillera having jurisdiction over the workplace and shall be subjected to the mandatory 30-day conciliation and mediation process under the single-entry approach.
However, if settlement fails, the case becomes subject of enforcement proceedings under Article 128 and 129 of the Labor Code as amended.
The wage order claimed no preliminary or permanent injunction or temporary restraining order may be issued by any court, tribunal or other entity against any proceedings before the board.