Wage board rules out pay hike in Cordillera

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – The Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board, in a board meeting recently ruled out the issuance of another wage hike order this time despite the pending clamor for wage adjustments to cope with skyrocketing prices of petroleum products and basic commodities.

Board Secretary and regional Department of Labor and Employment officer-in-charge Ted Delson said under the present circumstances, the Board sees no supervening condition or event that can be a legal basis to issue another wage hike order.

“Though there is really an increase in the price of basic commodities, it is still not extra-ordinary to warrant another wage hike. Though we still continuously monitoring the economic situation in the region,” Delson said.

He said the RTWPB issued a wage hike order last January, a P12 increase in the daily Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) of private employees. “Within one year since the last pay hike, there should be a supervening condition to order another wage hike order.”