Wage hike moratorium for Boracay, rest of Aklan

ILOILO CITY — Boracay Island and the rest of Aklan province will not implement the daily wage hike, which takes effect in Western Visayas on July 12.

“The closure of Boracay was taken into consideration,” said Johnson Cañete, regional director of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Cañete said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) granted the appeal of the Aklan business community, which is adversely affected by the six-month closure of the country’s top tourist destination.

“They (the Aklan businesses) were the collateral damage,” added Cañete during a press conference.

The board moved the implementation of the regional wage hike in Aklan province to November.

For Boracay, the wage hike will be implemented three months after it reopens to tourists, Cañete said.

“But that depends if Boracay will open by end of October, early November or next year,” he noted.

Last month, the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) granted the wage petition filed by the Philippine Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Workers Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (PACIWU-TUCP).

Daily salary of workers in Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental provinces will range from P295 for agricultural workers to P365 for non-agricultural workers.

The current daily salary ranges from P271.50 to P323.50.

Cañete said management of companies can also discuss with their employees how the increase will be implemented, but he expects full compliance.

“They should comply on the adjustments of minimum wages but if there are disagreements on how much will be deducted on their contributions and premiums like in PhilHealth and SSS, it is up for them on how they will come to an agreement with the employees,” Cañete said in a phone interview.

He said the 12 labor inspectors in the region will be conduct random inspections to check for compliance.