The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is encouraging employers in Western Visayas (WV) and Negros Occidental to comply with the new wage increase that took Wednesday, Nov. 19.
“We are urging them to comply voluntarily to avoid labor cases,” DOLE WV Regional Director Sixto Rodriguez Jr. said on Thursday.
Employers who cannot afford the wage hikes need to file a petitition for exemption that will be subject for review prior to approval, he said.
“There are no automatic exemptions,” Rodriquez said.
The daily minimum wage increase for Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental and Bacolod City , is P37 to P40 effective Nov. 19, the National Wages and Productivity Commission announced earlier.
The monthly minimum wage of kasambahays (domestic workers) for the region also increased from P6,000 to P6,500.
For non agricultural, industrial and commercial establishments employing more than 10 workers daily wages increased by P37 from P513 to P550 , and for those employing 10 workers or less by P40 from P485 to P525.
The daily wage increase for agricultural workers is P40 from P480 to P520, the NWPC said.*