Bicol RTWPB members attend a public hearing in Legazpi City as labor and management representatives discuss a potential wage adjustment. Photo courtesy of Connie Calipay/ Philippine News Agency (PNA)
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board 5 conducted its final public hearing on minimum wage adjustments for Albay on Tuesday in Legazpi City.
The consultation was attended by workers, business representatives, and government officials at the Concourse Convention Center.
Department of Labor and Employment Regional Director Imelda Gatinao said the Albay session completed the series of hearings across the six provinces in the region.
Gatinao added that the board plans to begin formal wage deliberations on March 3 after reviewing the feedback and data collected from all consultations.
She emphasized that the process aims to find a fair balance between workers’ requests for higher pay and employers’ need to sustain stable operations.
The hearing drew around 75 representatives from the labor sector and 139 from management, providing the board with a comprehensive view of stakeholders’ concerns.
Statistics show that Bicol has over 100,000 minimum-wage earners across more than 50,000 registered establishments.
The existing daily minimum wage in the region remains at P435 while the board finalizes its recommendations.
