MINIMUM wage workers in the Davao Region began receiving higher pay on September 1, with the second tranche of the latest wage adjustment raising daily rates by P10 to P15.
Agriculture workers now get P525 per day from P515, while those in non-agriculture industries receive P540 from P525.
Wage Order RB XI-24 authorized the adjustment following consultations by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board XI, including a public hearing held in February.
The Department of Labor and Employment said labor inspectors will check establishments’ compliance with the new rates during routine inspections.
Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino has also reminded employers to comply with prevailing wage and labor standards.
Davao’s latest increase comes as wage adjustments continue to roll out across regions under the country’s decentralized wage-setting system.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila workers are still waiting for the first tranche of the P85 daily wage increase approved under Wage Order NCR-27.
The NCR order will raise minimum pay by P60 pesos, which should have been rolled out by July 25, while the final tranche is set on January 20, 2027.
However, the Regional Trial Court in Pasig City issued a preliminary injunction against the implementation of the wage order, effectively putting the Metro Manila increase on hold while the legal challenge is being resolved.
Full implementation will bring the daily minimum wage in Metro Manila to P780 for non-agriculture workers.
Agriculture workers, as well as those employed by small retail and service establishments and small manufacturing firms covered by the order, will eventually receive P743 per day.
Labor groups have criticized the staggered implementation, saying workers will have to wait months before receiving the full adjustment.
However, Dole has maintained that there is no legal basis to suspend the second tranche after the wage order completed the required process.
Davao’s wage order excludes barangay micro business enterprises with valid Certificates of Authority issued by the Department of Trade and Industry under Republic Act 9178.
Compliance with the new rates will be monitored through Dole’s regular inspection program, with covered employers required to observe the wage order starting September 1.