LABOR Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said on Tuesday the regional wage board in Metro Manila is now considering a P20 minimum- wage hike.
In a television interview, Bello said this was based on the initial monitoring of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) of economic factors in its jurisdiction.
RTWPB-NCR is set to start its official deliberation on its new wage order for 2018 on October 5, the anniversary date of its previous wage order.
“The amount of adjustment will probably be not less than P20,” Bello said. He said RTWPB-NCR is cautious in deciding on the amount of wage adjustment in Metro Manila since it may worsen inflation in the region.
Inflation nationwide breached all government expectations and prices—especially of food—keep rising, as supplies are further constricted by recent typhoons and the failure of the government’s rice policy.
The inflation has also been blamed on the impact of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclsuion (TRAIN), the first of the tax package, which imposed higher excise taxes on fuel, among others.
Despite not yet having its latest round of wage hikes this year, NCR still has the biggest minimum-wage rate in the country—a range of P475 to P512—since its workers are widely known to be facing the most expensive cost of living.
As of September 11, only NCR together with Regions 2, 4B, 10, and Caraga are the only regions which have issued new wage orders for 2018.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes