September

News
September 2014
NWPC implements... from page 2
minimum wage setting; thereby helping create a stable
business planning horizon.
On the implementation of the 2nd tier of
the reform, the NWPC, likewise, reiterated that the
implementation of productivity based incentive
schemes is voluntary and that such schemes should be
jointly and mutually agreed upon by both workers and
management.
Daily Minimum Wage in Selected Countries
and Regions in the Philippines
Minimum Wage Rates
as of September 18, 2014
Region’s Wage Order
NonAgriculture
Effectivity Date
Wage Order No.
NCR-18
P466.00
Oct. 4, 2013
Wage Order No.
RB CAR-16
P280.00
Feb. 3, 2014
Wage Order No.
RB I-16
P253.00
Feb. 05, 2014
Wage Order No.
RB II-16
P255.00
Jan. 05, 2014
Wage Order No.
RB III-17
P336.00
Oct. 11, 2012
Wage Order No.
RB IVA-15
P362.50
May 1, 2014
Wage Order No.
RB IVB-06
P275.00
Feb. 1, 2013
P260.00
Jan. 10, 2014
Country
in US$
Wage Order No.
RB V-16
Nov. 29, 2013
1.69 - 2.03
Wage Order No.
RBVI-21
P287.00
Myanmar
Cambodia
3.22
Wage Order No.
RB VII-17
P340.00
Mar. 21, 2014
Pakistan
3.25
Wage Order No.
RB VIII-17
P260.00
Oct. 16, 2012
Vietnam
2.95 - 4.20
Wage Order No.
RB IX-I8
P280.00
June 10, 2013
Mongolia
3.51
Wage Order No.
RB X-17
P306.00
June 20, 2013
Indonesia
3.41 - 6.94
Wage Order No.
RB XI-18
P312.00
June 01, 2014
China
4.49 - 9.78
P270.00
Aug. 1, 2014
Philippines (IV-A)
5.97 - 8.29
Wage Order No.
RB XII-17
P268.00
May 21, 2013
Philippines (VII)
6.74 - 7.77
Wage Order No.
RB XIII-12
Feb. 1, 2014
6.51 - 7.68
Wage Order No.
RB ARMM-15
P250.00
Philippine (III)
Thailand
9.38
Malaysia
8.45 - 9.51
Philippines (NCR)
9.81 - 10.65
Taiwan
30.77
Hongkong
30.97
South Korea
41.03
Japan
49.88 - 70.16
New Zealand
76.44 - 95.55
Australia
126.21
NWPC
Bulletin
The NWPC Bulletin is published by the Information and
Publication Division of the National Wages and Productivity
Commission. Our address is 3rd Floor Dy International Building,
No. 1011 Gen. Malvar corner San Marcelino Streets, Malate,
Manila. Tel. Nos. 5275519, 5278011 to 17; Fax No. 5275139.
For comments, suggestions, and contributions, please write to
the Editor-in-Chief or e-mail us at [email protected]. You
may also visit our website at www.nwpc.dole.gov.ph.
Editor-In-Chief
Managing Editor
Layout Artist
Lourdes M. Secillano
Julie Callope-Llorente
Jerome P. Lucas
352'8&7,21$1'&,5&8/$7,2167$))
Gladys S. Gatpandan
(',725,$/%2$5'
Executive Director Maria Criselda R. Sy
Deputy Executive Director Patricia P. Hornilla
Deputy Executive Director Jeanette T. Damo
Director Elvira P. Jota
Director Welma T. Sicangco
Director Jamie-Lyn J. Garcia
The Official Newsletter of the National Wages and Productivity Commission
T
Volume 18 v Number 9
www.nwpc.dole.gov.ph
September 2014
NWPC issues Rules of Procedure
on Minimum Wage Fixing for Domestic Workers
T
he Commission and its Regional Boards will now be
guided by NWPC Guidelines No. 1, Series of 2014 in
the fixing of minimum wage rates for domestic workers.
Under RA 10361 or Kasambahay Law, the
Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards
(RTWPBs), through the supervision of the Commission,
shall review and if proper, determine and adjust the
minimum wage rates of domestic workers a year after the
effectivity of the Act.
The rules of procedure direct the regional boards
to conduct annual review of the prevailing minimum
wages of domestic workers.
turn to page 6
Green jobs bill filed in Congress
A
s part of his advocacy, Congressman Karlo Alexei
Nograles, Chairperson of the House Committee on
Labor and Employment, requested the DOLE to draft a bill
on green jobs. The NWPC, ILS, together with BLE drafted
the bill entitled “An Act Granting Incentives to Individuals
and Enterprises Supporting the Creation of Green Jobs and
Appropriating Funds For the Purpose”.
Under the sponsorship of Congressman Nograles,
the bill was filed as House Bill No. 4969 last September
3. Among others, the bill clarifies the State policy on the
creation of green jobs as an integral part of a package of
strategies that will enable the country to transition to a
green economy.
The bill defines the unique role of government
agenciesliketheDOLE,DOF,DENR,DepEd,CHED,DTI,NEDA,
TESDA and the Climate Change Commission in facilitating
and enabling the business and industry in creating green
jobs. This includes the formulation of a human resources
development plan which outlines strategies, programs and
projects on the development and utilization of the labor
force in the private and public sectors.
To encourage the creation of green jobs, fiscal
incentives in the form of a special deduction from gross
income equivalent to 200% of total grants for skills training
given to employees and research and development in
pursuit of supporting the green economy, development
and use of green technologies and practices and production
and rendition of green goods and services shall be given to
qualified individuals and enterprises.
by Jerome P. Lucas
September 2014
News
Usec. Conferido now heads NWPC
E
ffective on September
15, the chairmandesignate of the NWPC
will be Usec. Reydeluz
D. Conferido, following
the re-clustering of DOLE
offices, agencies and
bureaus.
News
September 2014
NWPC appoints new directors, officers
NWPC explains
TTWS during
the JFC, Amcham
The re-clustering
of agencies aims to ensure
“coherence and efficiency UndersecretaryReydeluzD.ConferidoandExecutiveDirectorMariaCriselda
in the delivery of priority R. Sy talking about the current programs and projects of the Commission.
Programs, Activities and Projects (PAPs) also acts as Cluster Head for the other
identified in the DOLE Planning Tool DOLE offices, namely: Bureau of Local
2014-2016”, DOLE Administrative Order Employment, National Maritime
No. 468 series of 2014 stated.
Polytechnic, National Reintegration
Center for OFWs, Professional
Under
Outcome
1 Regulation Commission, and Technical
“Employability of Workers and Education and Skills Development
Competitiveness
of
Enterprises Authority.
by Julie Callope-Llorente
Enhanced”, Undersecretary Conferido
The NWPC explained the
policy goal of minimum wage setting
and how this is being implemented
under the two-tiered wage
framework. It was further explained
that the empirical framework under
the new system has resulted in
greater predictability and regularity in
respectively .
The rest of the newly promoted
employees are: Ms. Amelia C. Kakazu (as
Supervising LEO), Julie Callope-Llorente
(as Senior LEO), Michelle A. Mackay (as
LEO II), and Phyllis G. dela Rosa (as LEO I).
Companies interested in
this ladderized productivity program
may apply with the NWPC or RTWPB
offices in the country's 16 regions. The
productivity program is "viewable" at
by Julie Callope-Llorente
by Board Secretary
Earl Dela Victoria
(L-R) Atty. Jamie-Lyn Jamias-Garcia and Atty. Welma T. Sicangco with Executive Director Maria Criselda R. Sy
during their oath taking as the new directors of NWPC.
T
he NWPC recently filled up six vacant
positions with the appointment of
two Directors and four officers.
Atty Welma T. Sicangco and Atty.
Jamie-Lyn Garcia have been promoted to
thepositionofDirectorIIforManagament
and Support Service Department and
Policy Research Service Department,
Butuan City Airport transforms
...from page 6
tremendously changed," Dela Victoria
said.
Baldoz said any establishment
who would like to avail of the DOLE's
productivity improvement programs can
do so, free of charge, as she bared that
the NWPC has completed its Integrated
Ladderized Productivity Training Program
composed of five basic training courses;
six intermediate training courses; three
advanced training courses; and two
recognition and incentives.
I
n a meeting with the Joint Foreign
Chamber (JFC) last September 4,
the DOLE responded to some labor
policy issues raised by members
of the JFC, among others, the twotiered wage system (TTWS).
turn to page 8
DOLE, Social Partners participate in Innovation
and Enterprise Development Managers Program
DOLE Regional Director Nathaniel Lacambra presents
the gift of appreciation to Mr. Foong Tze Foon of
Nanyang Polytechnic International (NYPi) of Singapore.
Training participants doing workshops aimed at transforming their enterprises to become safe, clean and
eco-friendly in Coron, Palawan and Tagaytay CIty, Cavite.
(L-R) Ms. Georgina Pascual, project Coordinator of ILO Philippines
and Ms. Sylvia P. Piano, Chief of NWPC’s Training and Technical
Services Division during the pilot run of the training in Tagaytay.
With newly developed... from page 6 Guest and Employee Engagement,
The delegates of the Innovation and Enterprise Development Managers Program (Batch 2) together with Mr. John
Soh (extreme left up), Mr. Foong Tze Foon (extreme left down), and Mr. Lin Cheng Ton (sixth from the left down)
from Nanyang Polytechnic International (NYPi) of Singapore.
R
epresentatives from DOLE and its
social partners comprised the new
delegation of the ongoing managers
program under the NWPC-Nanyang
Polytechnic International (NYPi) Temasek Foundation (TF) training on
productivity, innovation and enterprise
development.
The delegation, headed
by Regional Director Nathaniel
Lacambra, was composed of selected
senior government officials from
DOLE, Philippine League of LaborManagement Cooperation Practitioners,
Inc. (PHILAMCOP), Philippine Association
of Local Service Contractors (PALSCON),
and Federation of Free Workers (FFW).
The programme aims to widen
the pool of Philippine productivity and
innovation practitioners and champions
who will assist the MSMEs.
by Jerome P. Lucas
The two-day training had four
modules. The first, entitled Quality Jobs
and Service Excellence: Creating the
WOW experience, teaches participants
how to create and deliver a good
impression on its customers. The next,
Continual Improvement and Joint
Problem-Solving for Sustainability: Caring
for Environment discusses the different
problem solving tools and techniques,
highlighting the use of eco-mapping.
The third module, People for Greener
Processes and Workplace: Ensuring
demonstrates ways to involve both
the hotel staff and guests in the green
advocacy. And finally, Relations and
Cooperation: Organizing the Green
Team module focused on effective
communication and the formation of a
Green Improvement Team (GIT) in each
hotel and restaurant.
Prior to this, the NWPC,
conducted a similar training in have
organized the same activity in Coron,
Palawan last May 27-31 and in Tagaytay,
Cavite last July 30-31. All these activities
were coordinated with the local tourism
councils in the area.
In preparation for this series of
trainings, the NWPC and RTWPB trainers
participated in an intensive capacity
building program in collaboration with
the International Labour OrganizationGreener Business Asia (ILO-GBA).
by Francis Atangan &
Zulaizah Genesis M. Lahan
News
News
RB CARAGA conducts series of 5S training in 4 LGUs
Senate seeks clarification
on minimum wage fixing processes
September 2014
27, 2011 where a total 33 offices
represented by 1,037 employees
benefited from the training
program.
Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr,(center) received the 5S Seal
of Good Housekeeping with RD Domingo, RD Cochingco
(NEDA), Dir. Cha Satumba (NWPC) and BS VI Earl Dela
Victoria during the awarding conducted on July 22, 2012
@ Mayor's Office, Butuan City Hall.
W
ith the intent to strengthen the
linkages and networking with
LGUs, line agencies, and provincial
offices within the region, RTWPB Caraga
conducted series of 5S training in four
LGUs.
D
uring the budget hearing with
Senate Committee on Finance,
Senator Chiz Escudero sought
clarification on how adjustments in
minimum wages are determined
and how minimum wages relate to
the family living wage (FLW) and the
poverty threshold.
for further deliberation. On a followup query on whether minimum wage
adjustments is a result of compromise
among the social partners, the NWPC
clarified that minimum wage setting is
both a technical and political exercise.
The implementation of the TTWS
which makes reference to the poverty
threshold and average wage, however,
The NWPC said that the has disciplined the political aspect of
Board secretariat computes a range wage determination.
of possible minimum wage increases
which are presented to the Board
On a query on whether the FLW
Meanwhile, 46 employees
participated in the training
conducted in the Municipality of
Gigaquit last July 2013 and 137
staff of 20 LGU offices of Tandag
City participated in a similar training
conducted last 4-5 June 2013.
Hon. Roxanne C. Pimentel of
Tandag City, in her June 23 State of the
City Address (SOCA) recognized the
valuable contribution of the RTWPB
to the productivity performance of
the LGU. “All the LGU officials and
employees underwent seminarworkshops on 5S Good Housekeeping
and (ISTIV PAP). Thank you, Regional
Tripartite Wages and Productivity
Board Caraga for this capacity building
intervention,” the mayor said.
2014 National Productivity Convention
set for October 16
The transformation of Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP)
office of the local government of Butuan City.
The partnership between
RTWPB Caraga and four LGUs namely:
1) Butuan City, Agusan del Nortel; 2)
Municipality of Gigaquit, Surigao del
Norte; 3) Tandag City, Surigao del Sur;
and 4) Cabadbaran City, Agusan del
Norte, was established in October 2011
A similar recognition was given
through an agreement labeled as “Clean by Cabadbaran City Mayor Dale B.
Ground, Zero Waste Program”.
CorveraduringthetrainingoftheLGUof
Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte last
As part of the agreement, 2-5 September 2014. In his message,
RTWPB Caraga committed to conduct he emphasized the value of Good
5S training program to the different housekeeping in every workplace. He
offices of the LGUs and to advocate the said “The City Hall must be clean and
importance of a clean ground, zero waste organized within and outside its vicinity
so that the credibility in giving quality
program of the LGU of Butuan.
service to its constituents is established”.
The first series of 5S training was
by Board Secretary
conducted for the employees of the LGU
Earl Dela Victoria
of Butuan from October 4 to December
NWPC issues Rules... from page 1
In minimum wage fixing, the
regional boards shall consider, as far as
applicable, the needs of workers and
their families: a) wage adjustments visà-vis the consumer price index and b)
poverty threshold; and capacity to pay: a)
household income and b) average wage
of domestic workers.
Prior to the issuance of
a wage order, the Boards shall
conduct consultations/hearings with
stakeholders. The guidelines, however,
said that separate consultations/hearings
may be conducted in determining the
minimum wage of domestic workers in
order that issues concerning the sector
will be properly addressed.
T
he National Productivity Convention
(NPC) will be held on October 16 with
the theme “Productivity, Innovation and
Enterprise Development: Empowering
Workers, Sustaining Enterprises”. This is
a biennial event of the NWPC, held every
October in celebration of the National
Quality and Productivity Month.
The event will have two plenary
research fora: Session 1 on “Expanding
Workers’ Skills Through Productivity and
Innovation” and Session 2 on “Building
Sustainable
Enterprises
Through
September 2014
is automatically computed as twice the
minimum wage, the NWPC replied
that the FLW and the minimum wage
are distinct concepts and, as such, have
different empirical framework.
Based on some quick
computations, Sen. Escudero also
observed that the minimum wage in
NCR is slightly higher than the region’s
poverty threshold.
by Jerome P. Lucas
Reducing stress
through film
Productivity and Innovation”. Speakers
for the research sessions include: Mr.
Charles Bodwell (ILO), Mr. Frank Lester U.
Chui (Gawad Kalinga Foundation), Asst.
Sec. Rafaelita Aldaba (DTI) and Usec.
Fortunato dela Pena (DOST).
T
The event will also kick off the
2015 Productivity Olympics, featuring
testimonials of past national winners.
Participants from government agencies,
social partners, the academe and
international bodies are expected to
attend this event.
The film Bekikang: Ang Nanay
kong Bekia is a 2013 Filipino comedy film
that looks into the journey of a gay man
as he raises an abandoned child and his
struggles when the parents of the child
reappear to take back custody of the
child.
o help employees cope with
demanding situations, a stress
management activity in the form of
film viewing was conducted by the
Administrative Division at the NWPC
Conference Room last August 29, 2014.
With newly developed training module,
hotels and restaurants will be transformed to eco-advocates
H
Wage orders issued by the
Board shall not allow exemption. The
Board shall dismiss outright exemption
application filed by any party.
The said guidelines were
published on Philippine Daily Inquirer
last September 19, 2014.
by Jerome P. Lucas
otels and restaurants in Bohol are
now learning new and innovative
ways to transform themselves into safe,
clean, and eco-friendly enterprises,
following their participation in a training
program entitled Greener Business
Asia – Hotel Training and Advisory last
September 17-18.
Training specialists from the NWPC Central Office and
Regional Boards.
The training is part of the
government’s effort to help curb the
effects of global warming and improve
the productivity of the tourism industry
in the country.
turn to page 7
Representatives from various hotels and restaurants in
Bohol presenting their workshop outputs.
July 2014
News
News
September 2014
Photo by: Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
Butuan City airport transforms itself through DOLE's productivity improvement program
L
abor and Employment Secretary
Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said
she herself has experienced the
improvement in the quality of services
at the Butuan City Airport in Bancasi,
Butuan City after the Regional Tripartite
Wage and Productivity Board (RTWBP)
of the National Wages and Productivity
Commission (NWPC), an attached
agency of the DOLE, has partnered
with the Civil Aviation Authority of the
Philippines (CAAP) in transforming the
way airport workers and employees deal
with their customers.
Executive Director Ma. Criselda Sy that
the transformation of Butuan Airport's
service quality was a result of a close
collaboration with the CCAP and the
City Government of Butuan after CAAP
board members received incessant
negative reports regarding the airport's
services to customers. Porters, according
to the complaints, were unorganized and
unruly and don't care about passengers'
luggage.
Subsequently, Dela Victoria
led RTWPB trainers in a Service
Quality Orientation, holding in-depth
discussions with officials on the benefits
of productivity programs. Thereafter,
the management agreed to conduct a
Service Quality Seminar for CAAP porters
and personnel at the Bancasi Airport
lobby.
The two-day seminar focused
on how airport personnel and porters
could become more customer-friendly
and how they could render fast, efficient,
and reliable services.
"Short of chaotic, offices were
unclean and some were not even welllighted. The toilets were dirty, and outside,
service providers--vendors and transport-vie and haggle for harassed customers.
"Increasing
customer
The RTWPB-Caraga took the initiative
to change this by linking the CAAP in confidence and reducing customer
Butuan City to the NWPC's productivity complaints was our primary aim," Dela
Victoria said.
programs," said dela Victoria.
"When you step out of the
plane at the Bancasi Airport, what you
immediately notice is the courteousness
of airport employees greeting you with
their smiles. You notice their willingness to
go out of their way to make passengers
comfortable," said Baldoz who has visited
Airport porters adopted a
Butuan City several times in the past
After several airport visits
month.
and consultation with the airport system of prioritizing customers first and
management, RTWPB-Caraga and the foremost. For faster identification, they
Earl Dela Victoria, RTWPB- CAAP forged a partnership towards were provided with uniforms and IDs.
Caraga Board Secretary, reported productivity by improving the services of
Soon after, change has become
to Secretary Baldoz, through NWPC CAAP personnel.
Board Secretary Dela Victoria discuss the 5S concepts to CAAP personnel during the 5S Seminar Workshop conducted on December
11, 2013 @ CAAP Office, Bancasi Airport, Butuan City.
noticeable as CAAP personnel and porters
showed what quality service is all about,
showing excellent services from the way
they approach and greet their customers
to the manner they handled luggage and
cargoes.
were assigned designated places where
they could ply their trades and services.
The airport became more comfortable
and customer-friendly.
According to Dela Victoria, it
was the passengers who first felt and
On 11 December 2013, experienced the improvements in the
the RTWPB-Caraga and the CAAP service quality at the airport.
conducted a 5S Seminar in the airport.
Over a hundred personnel from the
"The on-going construction and
administration, tower, engineering, and the continuing improvements manifest
field personnel divisions participated that the management is really serious in
in the one-day activity. The focus of intensifying awareness and commitment
the seminar was office organization, to quality and productivity, as the RTWPBcleanliness, and orderliness. The Caraga has emphasized," he said.
RTWPB offered practical suggestions for
improvements in the offices as well as in
The economic vibrancy of the
the airport itself.
region has brought the airport busier,
as official records of CAAP-Butuan show
Shortly after, improvement a significant increase of outgoing and
of the airport's physical infrastructure incoming passengers.
began, with the construction of a
specially-made, glass-enclosed, VIP
"But because of the RTWPBLounge. Additional lighting was mounted; Caraga's productivity improvement
toilets cleaned; and order was restored intervention, the Bancasi airport is
in the departure and arrival areas. Even more than ready to meet travelers'
vendors and transport service providers expectations," said Evangeline Babate,
Airport Manager of the Bancasi Airport.
"We are really thankful to the
DOLE for its productivity improvement
program because we were able not only
to improve our services that make our
customers happy and satisfied, but also
because we have imbibed a culture of
quality service," declared June V. Alfonso,
terminal supervisor, who has several
times welcomed and assisted Secretary
Baldoz at the airport.
Dela Victoria reported that
because of increased airport activity
and the improvement in the quality of
airport services, airport workers, the
porters, especially, have indicated they
are earning more than previous years
because satisfied travelers are more
inclined now to pay (and give tips) for
their quality services.
"Airport workers now are more
cooperative and productive; there is also
decreased workplace stress because the
working environment in the airport has
turn to page 7
RB Caraga Trainers led by Earl D. Dela Victoria together with CAAP personnel and porters posed for a class picture during the Service
Quality Seminar conducted on September 20-21, 2009 at Bancasi Airport Lobby, Butuan City.