Group says workers in Bicol and Davao regions awaiting new wage orders

Workers in the Bicol and Davao regions are awaiting relief, as regional wage boards failed to issue 2025 minimum wage adjustments, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) said on Sunday, underscoring growing geographic disparities in the Philippines’ labor system.

In a statement, FFW said that out of 16 regions, the Bicol Region (Region V) and Davao Region (Region XI) are the only two regions that did not receive new wage orders last year, leaving workers exposed to rising costs of food, housing, transportation, and electricity.

“Hunger does not wait for wage board calendars,” said Ma. Victoria Garzon-Bellosillo, president of FFW’s Women Network. “Workers cannot defer rent, food, or medicine while wage determinations are endlessly postponed.”

Wages in Davao stood at P476-P481, and in Bicol at P415, and remained stagnant, with new reviews not scheduled until early 2026.

The group noted that while the National Capital Region maintains the highest daily minimum wage at P695 for non-agricultural workers following an adjustment in mid-2025, other regions lag significantly behind.

In Northern Mindanao, rates currently sit between P485 and P500, with full implementation of recent orders not expected until May 2026. Meanwhile, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao remains at the bottom of the ladder with rates ranging from P386 to P411, despite a June 2025 adjustment.

FFW President Jose Sonny G. Matula stressed that minimum wages are meant as a floor, not a ceiling, but in many workplaces, they have become the effective maximum — especially where workers lack organization. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking