DOLE reminds employers: Implement P50 wage hike in NCR
DOLE-NCR Regional Director Sarah Buena Mirasol said the new wage hike will be deemed effective starting Friday, July 18, 2025.
'Effective ang bagong minimum wage sa July 18. Dapat ang ating mga employers ay mag-adjust na at makatanggap na rin by July 18 ang ating minimum wage earners,' Mirasol told Balitanghali.
(The new minimum wage will be effective starting July 18. The employers should start adjusting then and provide the new daily minimum wage.)
Last month, the NCR Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board granted a P50 wage hike in the region, bringing the daily minimum wage rate from P645 to P695 for the non-agriculture sector, and from P608 to P658 for the agriculture sector, service and retail establishments employing 15 or less workers, and manufacturing establishments regularly employing less than ten workers.
Under the new rate, non-agriculture workers will have a monthly take-home pay of about P15,247 to P18,216 for a five-day and six-day workweek, respectively, inclusive of mandatory social welfare benefits such as 13th month pay, service incentive leave, SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG.
Meanwhile, Mirasol said establishments affected by calamities or those involved in retail and services employing ten workers are exempted from the wage hike.
'Kapag hindi nag-comply ang ating employers, puwedeng dumulog sa DOLE-NCR o field offices…Online, puwede rin mag-request for assistance,' she added.
(Should employers fail to comply, the employees may seek assistance from the DOLE head office and field offices. They may also request for assistance online.) —KG, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
Pag-IBIG offers 3% rate for first 30,000 borrowers under expanded 4PH program
The Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund announced on Monday that it will offer a special 3% per annum interest rate to the first 30,000 borrowers for the first 10 years of housing loan under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH). 'Sa karaniwan po kasi, limang taon po yung special subsidized 3% rate, yung unang limang taon ng kanilang loan term. Under po sa ating early bird promo, yung unang 30,000 borrowers po natin ay mae-enjoy yung subsidized rate na yan for the first 10 years of the loan, isang dekada po na mae-enjoy yung subsidized rate,' said Jack Jacinto, Pag-IBIG Fund Vice President for Public and Member Relations, in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon. (Typically, the special subsidized 3% rate lasts for the first five years of their loan term. However, under our early bird promo, our first 30,000 borrowers will enjoy that subsidized rate for the first 10 years of the loan — a full decade that they can enjoy the subsidized rate.) Pag-IBIG said the special promo is meant to encourage the public, particularly the low-income and minimum wage earners, to avail of affordable housing. 'Yung unang maga-apply at maaprubahan po sa Pag-ibig housing loan para sa expanded 4PH, sila po ang makakatamasa po nito. Ang dahilan po niyan ay para maengganyo ang ating mga kababayan lalo na at may plano na sila bumili ng kanilang bahay ay tignan itong alok po ng ating pamahalaan. Mura na po ito pero mas pinamura pa natin ito,' said Jacinto. (The first to apply for and be approved for a Pag-IBIG housing loan under the expanded 4PH program will be able to avail of this. The reason for this is to encourage our citizens, especially those who already plan to buy a house, to consider this offer from our government. It's already affordable, but we've made it even more so.) Pag-IBIG said the monthly payment would be more affordable with the special offer. For instance, a socialized housing unit that costs P850,000 is usually payable by P5,400 to P5,500 monthly. 'Sa pangkaraniwan po ay mababa na ang monthly nito sa ilalim ng regular Pag-IBIG housing loan na nasa around P5,400 (to) P5,500. Sa tulong ng special subsidized rate sa ilalim ng Pag-IBIG housing loan para sa expanded 4PH, ang monthly payment nito ay aabout sa P3,600 to P3,700 na lamang,' said Jacinto. (Normally, the monthly payment for this under a regular Pag-IBIG housing loan is already low, around P5,400 to P5,500. But with the special subsidized rate under the Pag-IBIG housing loan for the expanded 4PH, the monthly payment will only be around P3,600 to P3,700.) Open to OFWs The expanded 4PH program is also open to overseas Filipino workers regardless of their income, said Pag-IBIG. 'Ang kwalipikado dito ay yung mga first-time home buyers. Para sa mga nagtatatrabaho sa NCR, dapat hindi lalagpas sa P47,800 yung kanilang kinikita. Ibig sabihin sakop yung mga minimum wage earners, low-income earners. Pagdating outside of NCR, not more than P34,800 yung kanilang monthly income,' said Jacinto. (Those who qualify for this are first-time home buyers. For those working in NCR (National Capital Region), their income should not exceed P47,800. This means it covers minimum wage earners and low-income earners. For those outside of NCR, their monthly income should be not more than P34,800.) Click here for the list of available units under the expanded 4PH. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
6 days ago
- GMA Network
P11B proposed for TUPAD program in 2026
The government wants to continue its emergency employment program to disadvantaged individuals and displaced workers with the proposed P11 billion allocation to the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the labor and employment agencies, composed of the DOLE and Department of Migrant Workers, are set to receive P55.2 billion funding next year — among the top departments with the biggest proposed budget for next year. Of the figures, the DOLE will get P44.38 billion — lower than its P51.20 billion budget in 2025. The DMW, meanwhile, will receive P9.48 billion, higher than its P8.08 billion funding for this year. According to the NEP, a total of P12.24 billion will be appropriated for the DOLE's TUPAD program and the Government Internship Program (GIP). This amount is lower than the P18 billion budget of the two programs this year. Under the TUPAD program, beneficiaries will be working for 10 days in community clean-up, debris clearing, and rehabilitation of public infrastructures. They will be paid with the highest prevailing minimum wage rate in the region. TESDA Meanwhile, the Marcos administration likewise allocated funding for Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) scholarship programs. This includes the training for work scholarship program (P4.34 billion); special training for employment program (P1.62 billion); and technical-vocational training programs (P5.05 billion). At least P300 million will also be appropriated for the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program, and P1.65 billion for the TESDA Tulong Trabaho Program. In July, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. touted major strides in the country's higher education sector, highlighting the expansion of TESDA scholarships and financial aid for poor families during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). Malacanang proposed a P6.79-trillion national budget for 2026.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
13-08-2025
- GMA Network
CHED's ‘ACHIEVE' agenda aims to make higher education future-ready
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis on Wednesday outlined a sweeping reform blueprint for Philippine higher education, vowing to align university programs with industry needs, strengthen innovation, and ensure equitable access for all learners. Speaking at the INNOTECH Seminar Series on Education, Innovation, and Technology, Agrupis said the new seven-point ACHIEVE Agenda—set for formal launch later this year—will be CHED's strategic guide from 2025 to 2030. It is designed to respond to the persistent skills mismatch, rising graduate unemployment, and the demands of a rapidly changing workforce. 'Kung tayo ay nagpupundar ng malaki para sa infrastruktura, mas malaki pa ang ipupundar natin para sa ating mga mamamayan,' she stressed. (If we invest heavily in infrastructure, we will invest even more in our people.) 'Ito ang pangunahing pulisyan natin hanggang matapos ang administration.' (This will remain our main policy until the end of the [Marcos] administration.) Graduate unemployment on the rise Citing the June 2025 Labor Force Survey, Agrupis warned that unemployment among college graduates surged from 35.6% in December 2024 to 50% this year. 'This troubling increase reveals that our most educated citizens… are encountering growing difficulties in finding employment,' she said, noting that many graduates are ending up in low-skilled jobs that do not require a degree. She pointed to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) job fair data showing that of 25,876 job seekers last January, only 3,364 were hired, with most placed in positions mismatched to their qualifications. While the Philippines recorded a low overall unemployment rate of 3.7% in June — the lowest since December 2025—Agrupis said this 'must not make us complacent' given structural gaps between graduate skills and market needs. ACHIEVE: A roadmap for reform Agrupis described ACHIEVE as CHED's 'strategic blueprint' to support the Marcos administration's eight-point socioeconomic agenda. The acronym stands for: Advanced and Accessible Lifelong Learning Centralized One Nation Human Capital Development Plan Harmonized SDG-based Higher Education Research and Innovation Agenda Integrated Real-Time Data Collection and Analytics System Expanded and Impact-Driven Internationalization Strategies Vitalized Policies, Internal Systems, and Governance Effective and Efficient Public Service Through this agenda, CHED aims to integrate flexible learning programs, harmonize research with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, create a unified data portal to track learners from elementary to employment, and strengthen global competitiveness through academic mobility and international collaborations. 'ACHIEVE is more than a reform agenda,' Agrupis said. 'It is CHED's promise to shape a higher education system that transforms lives, empowers communities, and helps realize the promise of a Bagong Pilipinas.' Innovation as the 'engine' The CHED chief underscored that innovation will drive the transformation of higher education, noting the Philippines' climb to 53rd place in the 2024 Global Innovation Index — third among lower-middle-income countries and fifth in ASEAN. 'If we work collaboratively and break that silo, we can rise beyond the fifth place,' she said. She cited the Philippines' milestone in the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, where 113 Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) were recognized globally for their SDG contributions — the highest representation in Southeast Asia. Agrupis said CHED is building an integrated real-time data system to standardize and consolidate information on enrollment, graduation, research output, and employability across all HEIs, enabling quicker responses to skills shortages and regional gaps. Equity and collaboration at the core The second pillar, equity, aims to ensure 'no Filipino learner is left behind,' regardless of location, income, or background. This includes expanding lifelong learning opportunities for both fresh graduates and adult learners, and targeting programs for underserved regions. The third pillar, collaboration, calls for closer coordination between CHED, other government agencies, industry partners, and international institutions. Agrupis concluded by urging education leaders and partners to work together to make higher education a force 'for equity, a force for excellence, and for national development.' 'We believe that being future-ready goes beyond integrating technology,' she said. 'It means creating a system where every Filipino learner… has access to quality, relevant, and globally competitive education… and ensures no one is left behind.' The SEAMEO Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH) is one of three SEAMEO regional centers hosted by the Government of the Philippines. Since its establishment in 1970, INNOTECH has offered quality learning services, research and solutions development, knowledge management, as well as other enabling and support services, to effectively respond to educational needs and concerns in Southeast Asia. Moreover, along with CHED, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Education (DepEd) are said to be working together to create a seamless pathway that will allow technical and vocational skills to be credited toward higher education programs. Agrupis said the initiative aims to address the skills–jobs mismatch and give second chances to out-of-school youth or college dropouts by recognizing competencies gained outside traditional classrooms. The reform will also expand opportunities under the Extended Tertiary Education Program (ETUP), which grants academic credit for years of work experience, enabling returning learners to complete degrees without repeating skills they have already mastered. 'This is how we make education truly inclusive: by valuing all forms of learning, whether acquired in school, in training centers, or in the workplace,' the CHED chief added.
