House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Representative Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan has expressed support for the newly approved ₱35 wage increase for workers in Eastern Visayas, describing the adjustment as timely relief for private-sector employees facing rising living expenses.
“The increase gives more meaning to the constitutional right of workers to a living wage,” Libanan said. “This helps narrow the gap between existing minimum wages and the living-wage standard envisioned in the 1987 Constitution, which upholds the dignity and welfare of Filipino workers as a national priority.”
Libanan issued the statement following the release of Wage Order No. RB VIII-25 by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Eastern Visayas. The order provides a ₱35 wage increase to be implemented in two tranches:
₱17 effective December 8, 2025
₱18 effective June 1, 2026
Upon implementation of the first tranche, the region’s daily minimum wage will increase to ₱452 for non-agricultural workers and ₱422 for those in the agricultural sector. By June 1, 2026, these rates will further rise to ₱470 and ₱440, respectively.
The revised wage rates apply to all private-sector workers in Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar (Western Samar), Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran.
As of November 22, Eastern Visayas becomes the 12th region nationwide to approve a wage adjustment this year. Five regional wage boards have yet to issue new wage orders: the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), MIMAROPA (Region IV-B), Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX), Northern Mindanao (Region X), and Caraga (Region XIII).
While acknowledging that the increase remains modest, Libanan emphasized the continuing responsibility of wage boards to uphold the constitutional mandate of ensuring a living wage for Filipino workers.
“The Constitution mandates not just a minimum wage, but a living wage—one that allows Filipino families to live with dignity. We must continuously move wages toward that benchmark so workers are not left behind by inflation and economic pressures,” he said.
Libanan, a lawyer by profession, previously served as the congressional representative of Eastern Samar’s lone district for nine years.|
