RTWPB-XI starts hearing sectors on wage hike plea

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)--To govern the merit of the petitions as well as to get sentiments of the workers, employers, and other stakeholders, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-10 of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) held a blended Public Hearing on Minimum Wage Adjustment for regular and domestic workers, May 11, here.

"In this public hearing, we will have a glimpse of the socioeconomic conditions in the region as inputs to the board during our deliberation. You will also be hearing the petition for wage increase filed by TUCP [Trade Union Congress of the Philippines], concerns from the other parties or sectors involved in this public hearing," DOLE-10 Regional Director Albert Gutib said.

The activity highlights the minimum wage fixing process, updates on the prices of basic goods and prime commodities, agricultural products, and oil and other petroleum products, wage-related statistics, and the socio-economic situation and outlook in Region 10.

Setting expectations in the discussion of minimum wage fixing, Lawyer Gretchen Lamayan of RTWPB-10 said, "The standards/criteria for minimum wage determination include the needs of workers, capacity to pay, comparable wages and income, and requirements of economic and social development."

She added that the wage category classification covers all minimum wage earners in the private sector in Region 10, regardless of their position, designation, or status of employment and irrespective of the method by which their wages are paid.

During the hearing, the regional offices of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI),

Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Energy (DOE), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) shared the price updates of commodities as well as the economic situation of the region.

Among the products seen with price hikes include coffee, bread, instant noodles, laundry soap, and bottled water. For the agricultural sector, DA has also monitored the price increase of fish, pork, and spices.

As for the prices of liquid fuels, Misamis Occidental recorded the highest increase in the region on premium gasoline with a 50% difference from P51.64 in May 2021 to PP77.28 in May 2022. For the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), Misamis Oriental marked a 31% increase from P854.96 in May 2022 to P1,122.28 in May 2022.

Regional economic update

The monthly poverty threshold for a family of five for 2021 is an average income of P11,920 per month, PSA-10 Supervising Statistical Specialist Brenda Lynn Malinao said. This marks a 16.7% from 2018's P10,215 average income.

Further, to meet the minimum food requirements of a family, Malinao said, "For Region 10, for a family of five is P8,305, this is an increase of 16.4% from P7,135 in 2018. Ang Misamis Occidental ang naa'y pinakataas nga (has the highest) increase sa (in) food threshold nga (which is) 24.3% or P8,695."

For her part, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-10 Regional Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño said the region's poverty incidence among families is at 26.2% in 2021 but despite this number, she stressed that northern Mindanao remains the seventh biggest