Minimum wage earners in Region I, also known as the Ilocos Region, are set to receive higher wages starting November 7, 2024, following the approval of a wage increase by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB). The board sanctioned a P33 increase in the daily minimum wage, benefiting workers across various sectors in the region.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced that the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) had affirmed the wage increase through Wage Order No. RB 1-23 on October 16. The wage adjustment will raise the daily minimum wage to P435 for both agriculture workers and non-agriculture workers employed by establishments with fewer than 10 employees. For those in non-agriculture sectors with 10 or more employees, the new minimum wage will be P468.
This adjustment marks an 8% increase in the prevailing daily minimum wage rates in the region. The new rates will not only raise daily earnings but also enhance wage-related benefits such as the 13th-month pay, service incentive leave (SIL), and social security contributions for programs like the Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG.
Aside from the daily wage earners, the RTWPB also approved a significant increase for domestic workers, or “kasambahay,” in the region. The monthly minimum wage for these workers will increase by P500, bringing their new monthly salary to P6,000.
DOLE estimates that approximately 170,143 minimum wage earners in the region will directly benefit from this wage order, while around 349,112 full-time wage and salary workers will be indirectly affected. Additionally, about 99,024 domestic workers in the region will see their monthly wages increase.
The wage order’s implementation comes as part of a broader national effort to review wage rates in every region, as directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier this year. In July, the RTWPB also approved a P35 hike in the daily minimum wage for workers in the National Capital Region (NCR), bringing the rate from P610 to P645 for the non-agriculture sector.
Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma emphasized that all regional wage boards are expected to complete their wage reviews before the end of the year, ensuring that wage earners across the country benefit from updated compensation rates.