CEBU, PHILIPPINES — The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Central Visayas (RTWPB-7) has officially declared the presence of supervening events, paving the way for the premature consideration of wage hike petitions even before the mandatory one-year period from the issuance of the last wage order has lapsed.
Following the declaration, the wage board immediately scheduled a series of consultations across the region as part of the process of evaluating a pending petition seeking a P100 daily wage increase for private sector workers.
“Na-decide sa wage board nga naa gyud supervening events based sa presentation sa Philippine Statistics Office nga nisaka gyud ang inflation rate sa Central Visayas,” said Antonio Cuizon, one of the labor representatives to the wage board.
In the context of wage adjustments, a supervening event refers to a significant economic or social development that occurs after a wage order has been issued and materially affects workers’ living conditions or employers’ capacity to pay. Such developments may justify reopening wage deliberations before the usual one-year review period.
Under RTWPB rules, supervening events may include substantial increases in inflation or the cost of living, sharp hikes in fuel prices and basic commodities, economic crises, extraordinary circumstances affecting workers and businesses, and other unforeseen developments that significantly alter conditions existing when the previous wage order was issued.
However, a declaration of supervening events does not automatically result in a wage increase. It merely signifies that the wage board has found sufficient grounds to reopen discussions and determine whether a minimum wage adjustment is warranted.
Cuizon said the first consultation is scheduled on June 25 at the ABC Building of the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office. Additional consultations will be held on July 9 in Bogo City, July 15 in Bohol, and July 23 in Balamban, Cebu.
Public hearings are scheduled for August 5 and August 25, although venues have yet to be announced.
Cuizon said the schedule was finalized during the wage board’s latest meeting as part of the procedural requirements before any wage order can be issued.
The consultations and hearings come amid continuing calls from labor groups for immediate action on the wage hike petition filed on March 27 by a coalition of 18 labor organizations led by Partidong Manggagawa and SENTRO (Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa).
The petition seeks a P100 across-the-board increase in the daily minimum wage in Central Visayas, citing rising fuel prices, inflation, and the increasing cost of basic goods and services.
Dennis Derige, the coalition’s regional coordinator, earlier urged the wage board to act on the petition, arguing that workers’ purchasing power has been eroded by soaring prices and that current wage levels are no longer sufficient to provide a decent standard of living.
In previous discussions, Cuizon said the wage board had been gathering economic data and assessing whether prevailing conditions constituted a supervening event that would justify reopening wage deliberations.
He emphasized that consultations throughout the region are necessary before the board can decide on any wage adjustment.
The RTWPB-7 is composed of representatives from labor, management, and government. It is mandated under Republic Act No. 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act, to determine appropriate minimum wage levels in the region.
| Written by Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/FPL
