Minimum wage earners in the region will receive a pay hike ranging from P12 to 27 per day following the effectivity of Wage Order No. RB1-18. The new wage order took effect on October 2, 2016, or 15 days after its publication in the Ilocos Herald on September 17.
Wage Order RB1-18 increased the minimum daily wage of workers as follows:
- large non-agriculture, from P253 to P280 with P27 increment;
- medium non-agriculture, from P253 and P244 to P266 with P12 and P21 increase;
- small non-agriculture, from P233 to P252 with P19 daily pay hike;
- micro non-agriculture, from P227 to P243 with P16 increase;
- agriculture plantation, from P233 to P252 with P19 increment;
- agriculture non-plantation, from P227 to P243 with a raise of P16 and
- commercial fishing, from P253 to 280 with P27 difference.
The new wage order will benefit 208,296 workers and employees working in 48,955 micro establishments in the region.
Schedule for the orientations on the wage order is as follows: October 17 – Dagupan City for Pangasinan; October 19 – City of San Fernando for La Union and October 21 – Laoag City for Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.
Excluded in the increase are the Kasambahays or Domestic Workers, persons employed in the personal service of another including family drivers, and workers and employees of registered Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBEs) with Certifications of Authority.
The new wage order also provides exemptions to distressed establishments, new business establishments, retail/service establishments employing not more than ten workers, and establishments adversely affected by calamities such as natural and/or human induced disasters.
Deadline in the filing of exemptions from the coverage of the wage order will be announced later pending the approval of its Implementing Rules by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. Application for exemption shall be filed at the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-I or at the field offices of the Department of Labor and Employment-Regional Office I.
The RTWPB-I is composed of DOLE-RO I Director Henry John S. Jalbuena, Chairperson; DTI-RO I Director Florante O. Leal and NEDA-RO I Director Nestor G. Rillon, Vice-Chairpersons representing the government sector; Mr. Jerry V. Parlan and Salvador R. Poserio representing the management sector; and Mr. Eliseo P. Flora and Mrs. Catherine Q. Pangan representing the labor sector.
