COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (BTWPB) of the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE) on Wednesday, June 15, approved to increase the minimum wage of employers and workers both in agriculture and non-agriculture sectors across the Bangsamoro region.
The Wage Order No. BARMM-02 applies to all minimum wage earners in the region, except for family drivers, those employed in the personal service of another, and workers in registered Barangay Micro Business Enterprises with Certificates of Authority pursuant to R.A 9178.
Prior to the increase in wage rates, MOLE conducted a series of public consultations with the tripartite sectors of BARMM to hear employees and workers remarks on the said wage order.
“After public consultations and hearings, the BARMM region’s wage increase is Php.16.00 in the meantime, since we also have to listen to our business sectors and we have to consider that they were also affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said MOLE Minister Muslimin Sema.
Upon effectivity, all minimum wage earners of the private sector in the region shall receive an increase of Php16.00. This applies to non-agriculture workers employed in industrial, manufacturing, construction, commercial, mining, and academe and also to those workers in plantation, non-plantation, and retail under the agriculture sector.
This means that the new basic pay rate will be Php316.00 from Php300.00 for the non-agriculture sector and Php306.00 from Php290.00 for the agriculture sector in all provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and cities of Lamitan and Marawi.
On the other hand, workers in Cotabato City and Special Geographic Area (SGA) in North Cotabato are now enjoying the new daily minimum wage rate ranging from Php325.00 to Php341.00 for the non-agriculture sector and from Php300.00 to Php316 for the agriculture sector.
Sema said the wage increase comes in response to the big-time price hikes of basic commodities, petroleum products, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Bangsamoro people, adding that “it is part of government’s programs to meet the needs of our workers in all private sectors.”
The wage increase order shall not be applicable to retail and service establishments regularly employing not more than 10 workers, distressed establishments, new business enterprises, and establishments adversely affected by disasters of natural and man-made disasters. (Johaira Sahidala/BIO)
