CALABARZON WORKERS TO GET PAY HIKE

MINIMUM wage earners in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region are set to receive an increase in their daily pay.

House Committee on Labor and Employment chairperson and Cavite 1st district Rep. Jolo Revilla on Friday made the announcement granting a P30 to P60 increase in the daily pay of minimum wage earners in Calabarzon region.

According to Revilla, under Wage Order No. IVA-22, minimum wage earners in Cavite City, Carmona, General Trias, Tagaytay, Trece Martires, and other component cities will now receive P600 per day, while those in Rosario, Kawit, Naic, Silang, and Tanza will get P550 per day.

Workers in second- to fifth-class municipalities, particularly in agricultural areas, will see increases that bring their wages up to as much as P525 daily by April 2026.

The wage order prescribes a two-tranche implementation, with the first increase taking effect immediately upon publication and the second tranche scheduled on April 1, 2026.

Revilla said that the wage adjustment was the result of a rigorous process led by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) Region IV-A, which held consultations in Lucena, Batangas, Calamba, and Antipolo, and a final public hearing in Dasmariñas City, Cavite.

The RTWPB received 12 formal petitions from various labor groups, with demands ranging from P640 to P1,075, underscoring the urgent call from workers for higher wages amid rising prices and poverty thresholds.

“Ang dagdag-sahod na ito ay bunga ng sama-samang pagkilos ng pamahalaan, sektor ng paggawa, at mga employer. Malaking tulong ito para sa ating mga manggagawa, lalo na sa Cavite at buong Calabarzon. Ngunit malinaw din na hindi pa ito sapat upang tugunan ang araw-araw na gastusin ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” Revilla said.

The Cavite solon said that the increase will help bridge the long-standing wage gap between workers in Metro Manila and those in neighboring Calabarzon provinces, where the cost of living is often just as high—or even higher—than in the capital. 

“Hindi makatarungan na ang mga manggagawa na iilang minuto lang ang layo mula Maynila ay mas maliit ang kinikita kahit pareho ang taas ng bilihin. Sa wage order na ito, unti-unti nating nababawasan ang agwat na iyon,” he said.

Revilla, chairperson of the House Committee on Labor and Employment, vowed to strengthen legislative initiatives that will uplift the lives of workers nationwide.

Among his priorities are measures to institutionalize wage review mechanisms, expand social protection programs, and promote job security and fair labor practices.