DOLE: Regional wage boards reviewing 10 wage hike petitions

Ten wage hike petitions are currently pending and are under review by various Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs), Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said on Monday, Labor Day.

Laguesma said that the wage hike petitions, mostly seeking across-the-board increases, are pending before RTWPBs in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas.

“Sa pangkasalukuyan, merong sampung petitions na pino-proseso. Ito ay sinasaalang-alang na ng ating mga wage boards at umaasa tayo na ang proseso ay gugulong o uusad nang mahusay nang sa ganon magkaron na ng pagpapalabas ng karampatang wage order,” he said in an interview on GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita.

(Currently, there are ten petitions being processed. This is being considered by our wage boards and we hope that the process will progress efficiently so that wage orders can be issued.)

“Ito ay titignang mabuti ng ating mga wage boards at sa aking [palagay], hopefully, sa lalapit na panahon, meron ng ilalabas na mga wage orders ang ating mga iba ibang regional wages and productivity boards,” he added.

(Our wage boards will look closely at this and hopefully, in the near future, our various regional wages and productivity boards will issue wage orders.)

Laguesma also reiterated that there will be no wage hike for this year’s Labor Day.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Wednesday that more than 70,000 job openings will be up for grabs during the nationwide job fairs that will be held on May 1.

The agency on Sunday also launched the “Kadiwa ng Pangulo Para sa Manggagawa” to help workers access commodities at lower prices on Labor Day.

DOLE also led the payout of assistance or salaries to beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES), and Government Internship Program (GIP) across the country. —KBK, GMA Integrated News