CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) – The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board of Region 10 has finalized Wage Order (WO) No. RX-15 increasing the wages of the daily workers in Northern Mindanao.

These adjustments include the incorporation of the P12.00 daily cost of living allowance granted under WO No. RX-14 to the daily minimum wage of workers in the region effective August 16, 2010, after which an increase of P13.00 in their daily wages will be effective October 1, this year.

The move of the RTWPB answers the petition filed by the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) dated March 4, this year, asking for a P75.00 per day across the board increase in wages, lawyer Alan M. Macaraya, Region 10 director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE 10) and RTWPB 10 chairperson, said.

“We realize the socio-economic situation prevailing in the region and the need for adjusting the wages of our workers, so we had to conduct consultations with both the labor and the management sectors to be fair,” said Macaraya who signed WO No. RX-15 on July 26, with six other RTWPB members that include:

Jose B. Ares of ALU-TUCP and Engineer Milbert M. Macarambon, All Workers Alliance Trade Union (AWATU-TUCP), labor sector representatives; Arsenio L. Sebastian III, Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industries Foundation, Inc. (OroChamber); and Rev. Prudencio T. Plaza, Jr., Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Industries (COCI), management sector representatives.

Engineer Leon M. Dacanay Jr. and Alice V. Eusena, regional directors of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Region 10, respectively, as government sector representatives.

Thus, starting August 16, 2010, the new minimum daily wage rates under WO No. RX-15 in the region will be: for non-agricultural classification – P256 for Category I, P251 for Category II, P246 for Category III, and P241 for Category IV, and for agricultural classification is P244 for Category I, P239 for Category II, P234 for Category III, and P229 for Category IV.

Again, starting October 1, 2010, the minimum daily wage rates will be increased as follows: for non-agricultural classification – P269 for Category I, P264 for Category II, P259 for Category III, and P254 for Category IV, and for agricultural classification is P257 for Category I, P252 for Category II, P247 for Category III, and P242 for Category IV.

Classified under Wage Category I are the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, and the towns of Tagoloan, Villanueva, and Jasaan in Misamis Oriental, while under Wage Category II are the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia in Bukidnon, Gingoog and El Salvador in Misamis Oriental, and the towns of Maramag, Quezon, and Manolo Fortich, also of Bukidnon.

Classified under Wage Category III are the cities of Oroquieta and Tangub in Misamis Occidental, the towns of Lugait and Opol in Misamis Oriental, and Mambajao in Camiguin, Wage Category IV, the other areas not covered under Categories I to III, while Wage Category V, include the sugar agricultural industry.