About 389,500 minimum-wage earners in Ilocos and Western Visayas will receive higher pay starting this month after the regional wage boards approved new wage orders, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Monday.
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) – Region I set a daily increase of P37 to P45, bringing the daily minimum wage for non-agricultural establishments employing 10 or more workers from P468 to P505.
Those employing fewer than 10 workers, including those in agriculture, will see rates rise from P435 to P480.
In Western Visayas, the regional board approved a P37 to P40 hike.
This brings the minimum wage for non-agricultural firms with more than 10 workers from P513 toP550, and for those with 10 or fewer from P485 to P525.
Agricultural workers, meanwhile, will earn between P480 and P520 per day.
The new rates for both regions will take effect on November 19.
The boards said the adjustments were made after a series of consultations with labor and employer groups.
Both regions cited the need to ease the impact of inflation while maintaining competitiveness and supporting business recovery.
In its decision, the RTWPB – Western Visayas said the increase was based on a review of the region’s socio-economic conditions, noting that the Consumer Price Index reached 126.2 in September 2025, up from 125.9 in November 2024.
The purchasing power of the peso stood at P0.79, while the poverty threshold for a family of five was pegged at P13,801 per month based on the latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.
The region’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) also grew by 4.3 percent between 2023 and 2024.
For Ilocos, the board cited similar considerations.
Region I posted a 4.9-percent GRDP growth from 2022 to 2023, while the regional labor market remained strong with an employment rate of 95.3 percent as of July 2025.
The 2023 poverty threshold for a family of five was estimated at P13,478.51 per month, while the average inflation rate between November 2024 and September 2025 was at 2.3 percent.
The RTWPBs said these indicators showed that the regional economies could sustain moderate wage adjustments without harming employment or business activity.
Meanwhile, domestic workers or kasambahays in both regions will also receive monthly minimum wage increases.
In Ilocos, their pay will rise from P6,000 to P6,700, while those in Western Visayas will see their wages go up from P6,000 toP6,500.
A total of 258,819 domestic workers are expected to benefit from the increase.