The RTWPB-VIII conducted a public hearing for minimum wage determination on October 27, 2025 in Tacloban City. More than a hundred participants from the labor, management, and domestic workers (kasambahay) sectors attended.

DOLE VIII Regional Director and RTWPB Chairman Atty. Dax B. Villaruel, in his preliminary statement, noted that the Board is reviewing prevailing minimum wage rates motu proprio. He explained that the purpose of the hearing is to gather testimonies that will help the Board determine whether a wage adjustment is necessary.

The Board earlier conducted sectoral consultations in Ormoc City on August 27; in Maasin City; Southern Leyte on September 3; in Borongan City, Eastern Samar on September 17; and in Calbayog City, Samar on September 18.

Government agencies presented the region’s socio-economic conditions to guide stakeholders. Representatives from the regional offices of Philippine Statistics Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, and Department of Agriculture discussed poverty and employment statistics, prices of basic goods, agri-commodity supply and pricing in Tacloban; and Eastern Visayas’ overall economic performance.

After the presentation of relevant data and statistics, representatives from labor, management, and kasambahay sectors expressed their positions on the wage increase. Ms. Nelida Cawaa, a kasambahay from Tacloban City, appealed for a monthly wage increase ranging from ₱1,000 to ₱1,500, stressing that current salaries are insufficient to meet family needs. For labor, Mr. Bellsedaize C. Acaso, Labor Union President of SOLECO, Inc., presented the position of Associated Labor Unions – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), calling for for a ₱200 daily wage increase for all workers in Region VIII.

From the management sector, Atty. Federico Felipe G. Noel, representative of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry–Tacloban, Leyte, urged maintaining the status quo, citing stable inflation rates throughout the year.

Engineer Efren De Guzman Canabe, President of the Philippine Constructors Association–Leyte Chapter, Inc., also presented the position of the employers in the construction industry. He emphasized that current economic conditions do not warrant a wage increase, aligning with the Chamber’s position to maintain the status quo.

With the conclusion of the public hearing, the Board is set to decide within thirty days, whether a new Wage Order should be issued. Wage Order No. RB VIII-24, which granted a P30 increase in two tranches, took effect on December 2, 2024, with the second tranche effective on June 1, 2025.

For kasambahay, Wage Order No. RB VIII-DW-05 took effect on December 2, 2024, raising the minimum wage in chartered cities and first-class municipalities to P6,000 per month, and P5,500 in other municipalities.

According to Republic Act No. 6727 otherwise known as the “Wage Rationalization Act”, the RTWPBs are mandated to determine and fix minimum wage rates applicable in their regions, provinces or industries, and to issue the corresponding wage orders. (Atty. Marie Ronette Salve B. Campo)