Zamboanga City – The RTWPB-IX, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment – Zamboanga del Norte Field Office (DOLE-ZDNFO), conducted a seminar-workshop on wage distortion for 43 members of the Industry Tripartite Council (ITC) for Tourism on 19 June 2025 in Zamboanga City. 

The activity aimed to equip stakeholders from the tourism industry with essential knowledge and practical skills in addressing wage distortion issues in the workplace. 

Ms. Brenda M. Quintas, Information Technology Officer I of RTWPB-IX, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the legal basis of wage distortion, covering relevant provisions of the Labor Code and applicable policy guidelines. Engr. Erra Jelle L. Gracia, Senior Labor and Employment Officer of RTWPB-IX, discussed the available remedies and practical approaches in resolving wage distortion, including the use of various computation formulas. 

Engr. Gracia also facilitated a hands-on workshop session, where participants were given the opportunity to work on actual computation exercises related to wage distortion. 

“We express our gratitude to DOLE-IX for responding to the request made during the 1st quarter ITC meeting, as well as to RTWPB-IX for conducting this session. We are happy to know that DOLE is highly responsive to the needs of the industry,” said Ms. Janet Morgia, Vice Chairperson for Labor of the ITC for Hotels and Restaurants. 

Ms. Aileen D. Mondejar, DOLE-ZDNFO Chief and ITC Tourism Chairperson, expressed her appreciation to RTWPB-IX for their prompt response to the council’s request. She also encouraged their members to avail of the regional board’s productivity training programs, which are offered free of charge to interested micro, small and medium enterprises (Brenda M. Quintas).