Domestic workers in Metro Manila to get P1,500-wage increase
by Allysa NieveraThe Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) – National Capital Region (NCR) has approved the P1,500-wage increase for domestic workers in NCR.
“Ayon sa inaprubahan ng ating Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board – National Capital Region (NCR)
dinagdagan po nila ng P1,500.” Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in an interview with DZMM on Friday.
“P5,000 a month na po, sa Lunes ipapublish na po yan (It will be P5,000, on Monday we will have it published). In 15 days it will take effect.” he added.
Bello admitted that he would have wanted a higher increase in the minimum wage of domestic workers in Metro Manila.
“Although ang gusto ko sana P2,500 ang dagdag eh. Pero yun ang desisyon ng wage board syempre yun ang masusunod (I had wanted an increase of P2,500. But it was the decision of the wage board, of course that’s what we will follow),” he said.
But Bello said they did not have enough power to punish employers who will not follow the compliance order.
“Mabibigyan lang namin sila ng compliance order pero wala naman po kaming sapat na kapangyarihan para parusahan sila (All we can do is issue a compliance order to them. We don’t have enough power to punish them).” he said.
“Marami kaming mga order hindi sinusunod… wala naman kasi kaming sapat na kapangyarihan (There’s no order that we can’t follow. But we just don’t have the power),” he added.
In December 2017, the wage board approved a P1,000-wage increase in salary for domestic workers, raising their salary to 3,500. (With a report from Leslie Ann Aquino)