DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma, Chairperson of the National Wages and Productivity Commission, led the NWPC-RTWPB Planning Exercise on 05-07 March 2024 in Iloilo City. The activity brought together DOLE senior officials, regional directors, and RTWPB board secretaries to discuss and address issues on wages, incomes, and productivity improvement.

On the aspect of setting the minimum wage, Secretary Laguesma instructed NWPC to continue providing technical expertise to Congress, drawing on the Commission’s mandate and experience, and continuously monitor the proposed legislated minimum wage hike.

He also instructed RTWPBs to continuously monitor regional socio-economic conditions for the purpose of reviewing the minimum wages in their respective regions.
On productivity, Secretary Laguesma urged DOLE and RTWPBs to collaborate with other government agencies to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with tools and resources that can improve their productivity and overall operations.

Advocating for the adoption of productivity tools and technologies, including the Productivity-Based Incentive Scheme (PBIS), he emphasized the importance of multi-platform advocacy and communication approach to benefit more workers and enterprises from NWPC-RTWPB productivity interventions.

Secretary Laguesma expressed his hope for NWPC-RTWPBs to develop innovative approaches to ensure that wage and productivity programs and services are “relevant and felt on the ground.”

“While we are primarily known to the public for our role in adjusting regional minimum wage rates, we should always be reminded that we have an equally important function of promoting enterprise and labor productivity. The NWPC and the Regional Boards must strengthen their advocacy campaigns on the adoption of productivity tools and technologies, including the productivity-based incentive scheme, so that more workers and enterprise will benefit from our menu of productivity interventions,” Secretary Laguesma said.

He urged DOLE Regional Offices and RTWPBs to align their productivity projects with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, Labor and Employment Plan 2023-2028, and Regional Development Plans.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto R. Bitonio Jr., NWPC Chairperson Designate, echoed Secretary Laguesma. He stressed the need to integrate tripartism and social dialogue, identify sector-specific training programs, collaborate with other agencies, explore inter-regional industry collaboration, and prioritize booming and export industries in developing and implementing productivity improvement programs.

NWPC Executive Director Maria Criselda R. Sy, likewise, expressed confidence that agreements and instructions made at the planning event would be beneficial to addressing both wage and productivity concerns.