MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Friday said it expects more regional wage boards to grant minimum pay hikes for private sector workers.

“There is more. Because so far only six (wage boards) have finished (or granted wage increases) the National Capital Region, Regions 4-A (Calabarzon), 7 (Central Visayas), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon) and Soccsksargen (12). That is motu proprio. It means that with or without a petition, RTWPBs (Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards) are doing their jobs,” Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said in a radio interview.

Laguesma said the wage hike hearings are being conducted in coordination with stakeholders such as workers, investors and concerned government agencies, including the DOLE, Department of Trade and Industry and the National Economic and Development Authority.

He added that they are hoping that these regions will issue their wage orders within the year.

“After the public hearings, wage deliberation. It will issue a wage order. We are hoping, although we are not interfering, we see that in the direction of their processes, maybe before the year ends, all regions have wage adjustments,” the DOLE chief said.

The increase in the minimum salary of workers which considered the various wage determination criteria provided under Republic Act No. 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act, resulted from several petitions filed by various labor groups seeking an increase in the daily minimum wage due to escalating prices of basic goods and commodities.

The regional wage boards of Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Soccsksargen were the latest to issue wage hike orders which were approved by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) on Sept. 26, which would take effect on Oct. 16.

Wage hikes in the National Capital Region and Calabarzon took effect on July 16 and Sept. 24, respectively.

The wage hike in Central Visayas, meanwhile, takes effect on Oct. 1. (PNA)