CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga– About 90 employers and employees from the private sector in the province attended an orientation on the new wage orders in the region conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) – Cordillera.
DOLE-CAR Regional Director Exequiel Ronie Guzman said Wage Orders RB-CAR-18 and CAR-DW-02 increasing the minimum wage rates of the formal sector and domestic workers, respectively are already in effect.
Wage Order RB-CAR-18 approved by Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB) on April 26 took effect last June 5 while Wage Order CAR-DW-02 which was approved last April 19 took effect last May 8, 2017.
The minimum wage level for all industries employing 11 or more in CAR is now P300.00 in Baguio City and La Trinidad; P290.00 in Tabuk City, Bangued, Abra; Bontoc, Mountain Province; Lagawe and Banaue, Ifugao; Buguias and Tublay in Benguet; Bauko and Sagada in Mountain Province, and P280.00 in other areas in the region.
Approved wage level in industries employing 10 or less is P285.00 in Baguio City and La Trinidad; P280.00 in Tabuk City, Bangued, Bontoc, Lagawe, Banaue, Bugiuas, Bauko, Sagada and Tublay, and P270.00 in other areas.
The daily minimum wage rate is computed from basic pay plus uniform P15.00 Cost of Living Allowance or COLA.
Meanwhile, the RTWPB pegged the minimum wage of domestic workers to P3,000 in cities and first-class municipalities and P2,500 in other municipalities.
Guzman explained that they considered the workers’ family goal to live, capacity of employers, and establishment of industrial peace the bases for the new wage level adding that the minimum wage is an incentive to both parties.
Guzman and RTWPB Secretary Augusto Aquillo are making the rounds in CAR provinces to conduct said orientation. **PIA Kalinga
