A major labor federation says the P42 daily wage increase for minimum wage earners in Central Visayas is too small to offset the region’s rising cost of living, even though the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) has already affirmed the wage order.
Carlos Miguel Oñate, spokesperson for the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), questioned why workers in the region are getting less than their counterparts in the capital. Metro Manila minimum wage earners received a P60 raise, which means the Central Visayas increase is only about two-thirds of that amount.
The new rates will cover at least 337,476 private sector workers in Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Starting October 14, 2026, workers in Class A areas, which include Metro Cebu, will earn a daily minimum of P582.
In the Class B areas of Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, the daily minimum will rise to P542.
