Starting March 7, the daily take-home pay of minimum wage earners and monthly salary of domestic workers in Region XI will increase following the approval of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPB), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has announced.
Wage Order No. RB XI-22 dated Feb. 13, called for a P19 wage increase for minimum wage earners and another P19 starting Sept. 1.
The increase entitles a worker in the non-agricultural sector to a daily rate of P481 from the previous P443, and the agriculture sector will receive P476 from the previous P438 upon full implementation of the order.
DOLE stated that a total of 132,347 workers will gain directly from the salary hike, and the upward adjustments at the firm level could benefit 316,558 full-time workers who make more than the minimum wage indirectly.
The regional wage board also granted a monthly wage increase of P500 and brought the monthly wage rate of kasambahays in the region to P6,000 in the chartered and highly urbanized cities and from P5,000 to municipalities in the region.
The region employs about 64,111 domestic workers, of whom 37% or 23,479 are in live-in arrangements.
DOLE said the new rates for private sector workers translate to a nine percent increase from the prevailing daily minimum wage rate in the region.
Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBEs) are not covered by the minimum wage law pursuant to Republic Act No. 9178.
Retail or service establishments that regularly employ less than ten workers and enterprises affected by natural disasters or man-made disasters may request an exemption from paying the new minimum wage.
The last time Davao minimum wage earners got an increase was in June 2022.