Minimum Wage in Cebu Rises
Updated Information for Minimum Wage In Cebu Philippines it also includes other areas.
The minimum wage in Cebu is going to rise to P285 a day. That’s per day, not per hour. That’s about $6.33 a day or about 63 cents per hour. Depending on how long one works. Many work 12 hours a day. Some work 8 hours per day. That compares to a US Federal wage rate of $7.25 an hour or $72.50 a day for a 10 hour day. The increase in Metro Cebu City is only P18 a day. Metro Cebu includes the following cities:
- Cebu
- Mandaue
- Lapu-Lapu
- Danao
- Talisay
- Carcar
- Naga
These Municipalities will also receive the same increase:
- Compostela
- Liloan
- Consolacion
- Cordova
- Minglanilla
- San Fernando
- CompostelaLiloan
The closest thing to a municipality in the USA would be a town but the mayor Cebu City has greater influence over these municipalities than a mayor of say Memphis, Tn would over Bartlett, Tn. How much authority the Governor of Cebu Province has over a municipality is greater for a municipality than it is a City in the Philippines. Cities in the Philippines must meet certain requirements and when they do, they split a fund provided by the Philippine national government.
I’m interested in Philippine politics and how the local government units (LGUs) work but I don’t fully understand all the nuisances of that yet so keep that mine mind when you evaluate definitions. As always, I would enjoy being educated further by Filipino. Please enlighten me further with your comments!
The increase varies throughout the Central Visayas or Region VII which includes Cebu Province. Other cities will see the following wage increases:
- Toledo and Bogo City will see a rise to P265, up from the previous P247.
- Bohol and Negros Oriental provinces will have a daily wage of P255, up from P237.
- Siquijor and Bantayan and Camotes Islands will get P240, up from P222.
The minimum wage in Metro Manila is P402 a day or about $8.93 per day an day.
Region VII -- Central Visayas of The Philippines
The wage in The Central Visasays is set by The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board. This increase was issued by Wage Order No. 15. It must be submitted to the National Wages Productivity Commission. It will take effect at the end of August.
However, some exporters are to get a 90 day delay in the increase. Also some exporters within Mactan Island are not covered by the increase. The increase is expected to immediately benefit 45,000 to 65,000 workers. The region has between 85,000 to 100,000 workers. The Philippine census conducted in 2007 indicates that there are 6.4 people living in the Philippines. So only 15 percent of the people have jobs? Of course, there seems to be a zillion kids in the area. haha If even have of the population are children, then that would be a 70 percent unemployment rate? Wow!
However, many more are working for less than the minimum wage, off the books, and so they are not being counted. So many more Filipino work. Still, it gives another glimpse into one of the causes of poverty in the Philippines.
Workers living in Cebu will have a slightly improved experience in their daily lives. I wonder how much it will help. Its less than 50 cents per day. Of course, increase the minimum wage to quickly would increase the unemployment.
The low wages are one of the things that make the Philippines an enticing place for Westerners to retire. I can’t help but feel a little guilty. On the other hand, I am spending my money in the Philippines and that helps the Philippines economy while it also enriches my life experience.
Tagged with: Living in Cebu • Minimum Wage • Philippine Culture
Filed under: Expat Finances • Expats Living in Cebu • Living in Cebu • Philippine Government
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Get
To The Philippines Faster
Hi Rusty,
You said “The minimum wage in Cebu is going to rise to P285 a day … That’s about $6.33 a day or about 63 cents per hour” and then you said “The minimum wage in Metro Manila is P402 a day or about $8.93 an hour. Wow, that’s higher than the Federal minimum wage in the USA”. I think the Manila hourly calculation may be incorrect, looks like $8.93 is the per day rate, which would be way less than the Federal minimum wage in the USA.
Lance
I need to stop typing at 2am in the morning, yes your right. DUH.
>>>>The minimum wage in Metro Manila is P402 a day or about $8.93 an hour. Wow, that’s higher than the Federal minimum age in the USA<<<<<<<<<<<<
Are you sure you have an accounting degree?? P402 a day is $8.93 "per day", not per hour.
Bill,
Before you comment, please read what Rusty wrote!
>>>>>>>I need to stop typing at 2am in the morning, yes your right. DUH.
<<<<<<
PLEASE LEARN TO READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello Karr,
Thanks for taking up for me. Maybe BIll was having a bad day or maybe he needed to feel better about himself and that’s why he attacked.
when I wrote that, I keep diving it over and over. Thinking I had to have made a mistake. I sometimes get fixated, once I make a mistake, I’ll just keep making it over and over.. I’m not really a detail person. People generally have the wrong idea about accountants. Accountants are more like lawyers that know book keeping. They are a little bit detective. That deal with numbers.
I’m still amused though that I made such a silly mistake but I was amused when Ii first had it pointed out. I’m still a little, how in the heck could I have missed that. I’m getting senile at 50?
If I don’t do anything, I’ll never make a mistake. I’d rather they be a little more eloquent though. LOL
When I was last in Iloilo, I questioned my brother’s in law about how much money they could make. The best I could get out of them was about 300 peso per day working construction. They said a Tricycle driver can make about 500. That doesn’t seem like much to me.
Just my two cents!! Thanks
It is not much and that’s why you don’t see the average Filipino in Jollibee’s very often.
Some would be happy to earn P300 a day. I don’t think tricycle drives make P500 a day. Not in most places. Many places they get P7 a trip. That would be 71 trips but that’s per person, so maybe they do. Often they rent the tricycles though, I don’t know what they have to pay the owner. If they don’t rent then they have to pay for bike and gas, well unless they get customers to pay for gas and sometimes they do!
If I was sent over to work in Cebu, on say £16,000 (UK POUNDS STERLING) a year, what would my standard of living be like? I’m considering a job.
Thanks, Rich
It would be extremely high.
the Philippines has a minimum wage law and that is 400 plus and your right in that. but that is only in metro manila. provinces has lower rate per day and i don’t know about that since i haven’t been there. tricycle jeepney drivers are not i think covered with the minimum wage thing.. they can earn base on their effort or via commission if they don’t own the vehicle. another thing.. construction here are not earning in minimum.. and i wonder why cause they are the one who buils condomunium buildings here and other business building here and yet they don’t earn 400 a day..
anyway.. 400 and i am not good in math and accounting is just an hour in the united states… yeah. an american can earn this in a blue collar job in just one hour and not just 400 an hour…
Highly urbanized cities, like Cebu, are a separate issue. They are almost like a City/State. They generate and spend revenue without Provincial interference. Other cities or municipalities are closer to counties in the States, with the Mayor being the equivalent of a County Executive (or manager or administrator). The physical size of a municipality can be huge. The Barangay is like a town with it’s own Captain (chief administrator) and Barangay council. Province is equivalent to States. Board Members are like State Legislature. Difference is the Executive Branch has much more control of spending here than in the States.
Yes Leigh.
I think it is Lapu-Lapu that the Governor wants to have more control over but it is classified as a highly urbanized city so she can’t? Perhaps there is some disagreement over the classification? I’m not sure.
I’m uncertain of what exactly you’re replying to but what you describe is what I’ve come to understand as how it works here. It took a while for me to understand these different classifications and I’m sure I don’t know them all yet. Like the difference in a class two and a class three. I’m living in Bogo which I think is a class 3 city today, but it may be a municipality again in the future. Sooner or later the supreme court is going to put a stop to the reconsideration motions. I think they already have, I don’t think the justices are going to take well to those impeachment threats myself. I think they’ll just dig in, that is human nature but I’m still watching and learning. Time will tell.
I work with Stream Global based in Cebu, I’m a Dell Tech service pro for 3 years now. I get paid 823 Pesos per working day only. In Davao City, Call center agents get only 10K a month or 7K for basic salary.
Thanks Dubby, at least they and you are making more than the minimum wage. I’ve always wondered what the call center agents make.
It will go up when there are even more call centers here and the unemployment rate goes down.