Following the recent announcement of a wage hike in Metro Manila that will take effect with two tranches.
On Wednesday, July 8, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. personally noted that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards are continuously evaluating wage conditions in every region.
The said measure is to assess and ensure that the minimum wage hikes are appropriate and responsive to local economic realities.
“Ang tripartite wage board, sa regional tripartite wage board, patuloy ‘yan, hindi tumitigil ‘yan, patuloy na tinitingnan at inaaral kung ano ba talagang presyuhan doon sa bawat region para mailagay na tama ang ating wage rate kung kailangan ng wage hike,” said the President.
Marcos Jr. took note that the National Capital Region (NCR) has already approved a PHP 85 daily wage increase due to the higher cost of living in Metro Manila.
“Ang nauna ay ang NCR, PhP85 ang naging wage hike, ito ay buong kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, ang pinakamaraming pagtaas ng wages dito, lalo na sa Metro Manila,” President Marcos said.
He then added that the wage boards in other regions are expected to complete their deliberations in the coming months, with some scheduled to finish later in the year
“Ang susunod ay sa mga region pero matagal pa yan mga September, October pa yung iba kaya pag natapos na sila sa kanilang pag-aaral ay ilabas na rin natin na yung naging resulta kung ano ang rekomendasyon ng ating tripartite wage sa iba’t ibang region,” he told.
Meanwhile, during a Palace press briefing on the same day, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro noted that the increase in wages will continue for workers.
Castro also said the government has recorded the highest number of wage increases over the past four years.
Since 2023, the average increase per wage order has reached seven percent, with the latest PHP 85 increase in the NCR, the total approved salary increase for workers has now reached PHP 210.
UPSKILLING
For its part, while also being part of measures to improve the wages of Filipinos, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is also furthering programs to upskill workers.
According to Castro, that is in line with administration’s goal of creating high-quality jobs and the provision of higher compensation for workers.
“Sa utos ng Pangulo ay isinusulong ni Labor and Employment Secretary Francis Tolentino ang paggawa ng mga hakbang para sa upskilling at pagpapataas ng sweldo ng mga Pilipino,” the PCO official noted. “Kabilang sa mga workforce programs ng ahensya ang pagpapalawak ng nationwide Trabaho Agad job fairs na naglalayong maghatid ng libo-libong job opportunities sa mga naghahanap ng trabaho sa iba’t ibang sulok ng Pilipinas.”
The DOLE Trabaho Agad job fairs are simultaneous hiring events held nationwide, with hundreds of local and overseas employers participating. These also feature one-stop-shop documentary processing for clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG Fund.
In addition, the Labor Department also has programs such as the Labor Education for Graduating Students program and an increased partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to provide more training for Filipino learners and workers.
There are also additional entrepreneurship training for members of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Livelihood Program.
“Ayon sa ahensiya, napapanahon nang paunlarin ang labor force ng bansa at mag-invest sa employable skills para gawing future-ready ang Filipino workers. Dahil sa Bagong Pilipinas, katuwang ng pamahalaan ang lahat ng mga dakilang manggagawa,” said the official.
