SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — Minimum wage earners in the Caraga region will get a ₱20 daily pay hike starting Jan. 3, 2026, as the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) rolled out the first tranche of a two-step wage adjustment for private-sector workers.
The increase raises the region’s minimum daily wage from ₱435 to ₱455, with a second ₱20 tranche set to kick in on May 1, 2026, bringing the minimum to ₱475, in time for Labor Day.
RTWPB Caraga Board Secretary Earl V. dela Victoria said the adjustment went through “a series of studies, deliberation, and public consultation,” stressing that wage setting is meant to strike a balance between labor welfare and employers’ capacity to pay.
For workers, the bump translates to a modest but immediate cushion: ₱20 more per day is roughly ₱520 more a month for a 26-day work month, while the full two-tranche ₱40 increase would amount to about ₱1,040 monthly once the May tranche takes effect.
Mall cashier Hannah interviewed by Philippine Information Agency-Caraga welcomed the hike, saying that with prices rising, “any adjustment to our daily wage is already a big help.”
The wage order covers private-sector workers across non-agriculture, agriculture, service/retail, and manufacturing, DOLE said. The pay increases also cover the region’s key cities and provinces, including Butuan, Bayugan, Bislig, Cabadbaran, Surigao, and Tandag, as well as Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Dinagat Islands.
Separately, kasambahays in Caraga will receive a ₱500 monthly increase, raising the minimum from ₱6,000 to ₱6,500, also effective Jan. 3, 2026.
DOLE Caraga Regional Director Atty. Jason P. Balais urged employers to comply, arguing that fair pay improves morale and productivity. He said DOLE enforces labor standards through routine inspections and complaint inspections, and encouraged workers and the public to report violations through field offices, hotline numbers, or official social media channels.
No public reaction yet has been issued by labor groups in the Caraga region.
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