Zamboanga peninsula workers to get pay hike

MANILA, Philippines — Minimum wage earners in Zamboanga peninsula are getting an increase in their daily take-home pay.

The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) announced yesterday that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board approved an increase of P30 in the daily pay of workers in all sectors.

The NWPC affirmed the wage order, which shall take effect on Nov. 12.

Apart from the P30 pay hike, the NWPC said an increase of P13 will be given to workers in retail and service establishments with 10 to 30 employees starting Feb. 1 next year.

The NWPC said the pay hike would bring to P381 the daily minimum wage for workers in the non-agriculture sector and retail and service establishments with 31 or more workers in the region.

The wage adjustment translates to an increase of nine to 13 percent in the prevailing rates in Zamboanga peninsula.

It will result in a 23-percent increase in wage-related benefits covering 13th-month pay, service incentive leave and social security benefits such as Social Security System, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG.

Around 57,000 minimum wage earners are expected to benefit from the wage hike.

At least 121,000 full-time wage and salary workers earning above the minimum wage may indirectly benefit as a result of upward adjustments at the enterprise level arising from the correction of wage distortions.

The regional wage board also approved an increase in the monthly minimum wage of domestic helpers by P600.

“The monthly rate in chartered cities and first-class municipalities in the region will now be P4,600 and P4,100 in other municipalities,” the NWPC said.

The salary increase for domestic workers will benefit around 19,000, of whom 2,491 are on live-in arrangements.