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TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines ? The Regional Tripartite and Wages Productivity Board in Eastern Visayas will begin deliberating on Monday whether there is a need to adjust the current minimum wage of the region's workers.
Forter Puguon, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) director for Eastern Visayas and regional chair of the wage board, said the main consideration in Monday?s meeting would be the effect of the increase in the prices of commodities, particularly rice, on the purchasing power of the workers.
Puguon said the board would approve a wage adjustment on the basis of a diminished purchasing power.
He, however, said they would not railroad the deliberations.
"We monitor all economic indicators like movement of prices especially on prime commodities like rice. And if we see there is a significant increase that would warrant a focused look if the workers can't absorb the price increases of the commodities, we will decide for a formal review. Then we'll conduct a public consultation or hearing. We have to do this process," Puguon said.
The regional wage board would fix the wage increase only after establishing diminished purchasing power in a series of public consultations.
At present, the region's more than 1.6 million workers are receiving P228 as their daily minimum wage based on Wage Order Number 14 issued by the RTWPB-8 on December 16, 2007.
The increase in the prices of rice, a staple food among Filipinos, prompted workers to demand for a pay hike. President Macapagal-Arroyo, reacting to the clamor, instructed all wage boards to convene and look into the possibility of wage adjustments.
Puguon, this early, admitted that the increase in the prices of rice has been a "supervening event" that could be a basis for a new wage adjustment.
He explained that the "supervening event" has been the only basis for the regional board to issue a new wage order despite the prohibition on two increases within a period of 12 months. /Inquirer
