
SAN PEDRO
CITY, Laguna (PIA) — The
Regional Tripartite Wages
and Productivity Board
(RTWPB) in Calabarzon
commenced public hearings on the minimum wage
adjustment for kasambahays (domestic workers)
in San Pedro City, Laguna,
on Tuesday, January 9.
According to
lawyer Rio Ariel Soriano,
secretary of RTWPB IV-A,
the hearing aims to gather
insights from workers, employers, and other stakeholders on the minimum
wage for domestic workers, which was last adjusted two years ago.
Soriano stated
that it is high time for the
wage board to review the
current wage order, emphasizing that the existing
P4,000 to P5,000 minimum wage may no longer be responsive to the
needs of domestic workers in the region.
He added that
the active participation of
domestic workers in public hearings and consultations is crucial for determining the wage increase.
“Bahagi ng
demokrasya na hindi natin pwede galawin basta-basata ang wage kung
walang partisipasyon
ng ating publiko lalo na
ang sektor ng ating mga
kasambahay. Kung tahimik ang mga kasambahay
natin, sumusunod yan na
hindi gagalawin ang wage
order, kasi walang clamor, walang panawagan,
walang adjustment,” Soriano emphasized.
He also stressed
the urgent need to make
the salary for domestic
workers competitive with
other regions to prevent
them from migrating to
other areas, especially to
Metro Manila, which implemented a wage hike in
November 2023.
“Ang goal natin is
that ‘wag na kayong lumabas sa Calabarzon dahil
competitive din naman
ang sweldo natin. Huwag natin silang hayaang
mag-migrate dahil talo sila
in so far as transport, logistics na kailangan nilang
magbiyahe, mga unquantifiable expenses gaya ng
pagod, hirap, layo sa pamilya, talo sila doon,” Soriano said.
Soriano expressed hope that the series of public hearings set
to roll out in different parts
of the region in the coming
weeks would be as fruitful as the formal sector’s
wage hike last year.
He said the proponents and stakeholders’
contributions led to the
approval and implementation of Wage Order No.
20, which set the formal
sector’s minimum wage at
P385 to P520 — the highest wage increase among
regions in the country.
“Isa ito sa magagandang accomplishments ng Region 4A
noong nakaraang taon. At
umpisahan natin for this
year na ganoon ulit ang
ating tatahaking direksyon
na tayo ulit ang magsisilbing benchmark dito sa
Pilipinas pagdating sa usapin ng batas kasambahay,” Soriano said.
Meanwhile, Laguna Second District Representative Ruth Mariano
Hernandez also supports
the move, stating that the
minimum wage salary adjustments would help domestic workers cope with
the increasing cost of living.
“Mas maganda
kung magkakaroon ng
wage adjustments dahil
yung cost of living natin
ay medyo mataas na. Maganda ang pagbubukas ng
taong ito na nagkakaroon
tayo ng ganitong public
consultation,” said Hernandez.
“We want all of
you na talagang maging
bahagi sa paggawa ng
mahalagang polisiya at
hakbang ng pamahalaan
sa usaping ito,” she added.
United Domestic
Workers of the Philippines
(UDWP) appealed to the
wage board to have an
across-the-board salary
for kasambahays regardless of the area.
“Gusto po sana
namin na pangkalahatan
na po dahil kung anong
pangangailangan malapit
sa NCR ganoon din ang
pangangailan sa mga
malapit na munciipalities,
hindi po nagkakalayo,”
said Myla of UDWP Laguna Chapter.
The current minimum wage rate for domestic workers in Calabarzon is P5,000 for those
in cities and first-class municipalities, while individuals employed in emerging-growth municipalities
receive P4,000.
The RTWPB will
hold another public hearing in Trece Martires City
on Thursday, January 11.