Workers in the private sector in the Davao region will soon see a slight increase in their daily wages, following an order issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-Davao (RTWPB-11).
Under the new wage order, employees in the non-agriculture sector will receive a P29 increase, raising their daily minimum wage from P481 to P510. Meanwhile, those in the agriculture sector will see their daily pay rise from P476 to P505. The wage adjustment is set to take effect on March 7, 2025.
Despite the increase, labor groups expressed disappointment, saying the adjustment falls far short of addressing rising living costs. The Associated Labor Union-Southern Mindanao Region (ALU-SMR) had pushed for a P150 wage hike, arguing that the approved amount barely covers the cost of basic goods.
“We are saddened that the increase is only P29. It’s not even enough to buy a kilo of rice and does not reflect the consumer price index criteria that the RTWPB is supposed to follow,” ALU-SMR Regional Vice President Atty. Reina Eusebio-Dalam said in a GMA News Online report.
The labor group also criticized the long-standing trend of minimal wage hikes, saying workers struggle to keep up with inflation and mounting debts. “For the past 35 years, wage increases have been too small to compensate for the rising cost of living. If the board had at least added P2 per year over those years, the wages would be more aligned with the consumer price index,” Dalam added.
