Metro Manila minimum wage earners to get P21 more starting October 5

Patty Pasion

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Metro Manila minimum wage earners to get P21 more starting October 5

AFP

Non-agricultural workers will now receive P512 per day while agriculture and service workers will get P475 per day

MANILA, Philippines – Starting Thursday, October 5, minimum wage earners in Metro Manila will receive an additional P21 in their daily basic wage. 

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region granted the increase on September 14 through Wage Order NCR-21. The order was published in the Philippine Star on September 20. 

Non-agricultural workers will now have a daily minimum wage of P512 from their previous pay of P491. Agriculture, retail, and service establishments with at most 15 workers and manufacturing businesses with less than 10 workers should pay their employees a minimum rate of P475.  

The Wage Board clarified that domestic workers, persons “in the personal service of another,” and employees of registered Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBEs) are not covered by the order. 

Household workers in Metro Manila and first class municipalities should receive a salary of at least P2,000 under Republic Act 10361 or the Batas Kasambahay Act.  

Meanwhile, those paid on a per task basis are also entitled to the new rate for every 8-hour work per day. 

The approved wage rate is way below the amounts proposed by the labor unions that petitioned for a hike last June. 

The Associated Labor Unions (ALU) sought a P184 increase, while the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) asked for a P259 increase and the Association of Minimum Wage Earners and Advocates (AMWEA) wanted the minimum wage to be raised to P1,200 in 4 tranches.

Labor unions argued that the purchasing power of the P491 daily wage has slid to P354.51 based on government figures. (READ: Labor union to wage board, employers: Try living on P357 a day)

They are still calling on President Rodrigo Duterte to grant the P500 subsidy for workers similar to the conditional cash grant under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. 

Meanwhile, leftist union Kilusang Mayo Uno renewed its call to establish a national minimum wage of P750 instead of individual rates per region. – Rappler.com 

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Patty Pasion

Patty leads the Rappler+ membership program. She used to be a Rappler multimedia reporter who covered politics, labor, and development issues of vulnerable sectors.