Cagayan de Oro City — The RTWPB-10, the body mandated to set minimum wage levels in the region, held a press briefing on January 13, 2026, at De Luxe Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City, to announce adjustments to minimum wage rates for private sector and domestic workers in Northern Mindanao.

During the briefing, RTWPB-10 announced a P39 daily wage increase for private sector workers under Wage Order No. RX-24, which will be implemented in two phases. The first tranche of P25 will take effect on January 16, 2026, while the remaining P14 will be applied beginning May 1, 2026.

With the adjustment, the minimum daily wage for Wage Category I will increase from Php461 to Php500, while Wage Category II will rise from Php446 to Php485.

Category I covers the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Malaybalay, Valencia, Gingoog, El Salvador, and Ozamiz, as well as the municipalities of Tagoloan, Villanueva, Jasaan, Opol, Maramag, Quezon, Manolo Fortich, and Lugait.

Category II includes all other areas not classified under Category I, as well as retail and service establishments employing 10 workers or fewer.

RTWPB-10 Chairperson and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 10 Regional Director Lawyer Joffrey M. Suyao said the wage adjustment aims to help workers cope with the rising cost of living.

“The wage order is intended to ease the burden on workers brought about by increasing prices of food, transportation, and basic commodities. At the same time, we are mindful of employers’ concerns in maintaining viable, competitive, and sustainable enterprises. These adjustments are the result of a thorough and transparent wage-setting process,” Suyao said.

RTWPB-10 Vice Chairperson and Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev) Region 10 Regional Director Mylah Faye Aurora B. Cariño emphasized that the Board’s goal goes beyond meeting the minimum poverty threshold. “While most previous wage rates were already slightly above the poverty threshold, except in Cagayan de Oro, our objective is not merely to meet basic needs but to improve the overall welfare of workers. Wage determination is both a science and an art—anchored on evidence while carefully balancing workers’ needs and employers’ capacity to pay,” Cariño explained.

Meanwhile, RTWPB-10 Board Secretary VI Lawyer Ma. Vergel B. Walag presented the salient provisions of Wage Order No. RX-24 for private sector workers, as well as Wage Order No. RBX-DW-06 covering domestic workers. She also discussed the wage-setting process and the categories of establishments eligible for wage exemptions.

Under Wage Order No. RBX-DW-06, the minimum monthly wage of domestic workers (kasambahays) in Region X will increase from Php6,000 to Php6,500, effective January 16, 2026.

The press briefing was attended by around 30 media organizations from across Northern Mindanao and was organized in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Region 10. (LOUDETTE MAE ALELI G. UY)