P25 minimum wage hike for NCR workers to take effect on Nov. 22, 2018

The recently approved P25 increase in the daily minimum wage of workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) will take effect on November 22, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Monday during a press briefing.

This was also confirmed by Raul M. Francia, Director IV of the Department of Labor and Employment, in a message sent to GMA News Online on Monday.

Bello earlier said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday that the wage hike will be effective on November 27.

"'Yung adjustment na 'yan will take effect 15 days after ng publication ng approval by the National Wages and Productivity Commission. It has to be published in a newspaper of general circulation," Bello then said.

"Palagay ko sa Monday pa maaaksiyonan 'yan so 15 days after that... It will take effect on November 27," he said.

The P25 minimum wage hike, which includes a P10 increase in the cost of living allowance, was approved on November 5. 

With the adjustment, the new daily minimum wage will be from P500 to P537.

The P25 increase is way lower than the P334 the petitioners have proposed and closer to the P20 offer of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines. —Ted Cordero and Dona Magsino/KG, GMA News

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect the statement given by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Monday, November 12, 2018, regarding the effectivity of the wage hike.