Labor group Ama Sugbo-KMU criticized the P42 daily minimum wage increase in Central Visayas as insufficient for family needs after the Dole-implemented wage order took effect Oct. 14, 2026.
Dole 7 Director Emmanuel Ferrer stated compliance with Wage Order ROVII-27 is mandatory, raising daily minimum wages to P582 in Metro Cebu and P542 in other covered areas.
Ama Sugbo-KMU chairperson Jaime Paglinawan called for repealing the Wage Rationalization Act and urged Congress to legislate a living wage through pending national minimum wage measures.
A CEBU labor group criticized the P42 daily minimum wage increase in Central Visayas, saying the adjustment remains insufficient to support workers’ families amid rising living costs.
The Alyansa sa mga Mamumuo sa Sugbo-Kilusang Mayo Uno (Ama Sugbo-KMU) issued the statement as the new minimum wage rates took effect on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026.
The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) implemented the wage increase, granting covered workers an additional P42 in daily wages. Domestic workers also received a P500 monthly wage increase under a separate wage order.
Under Wage Order ROVII-27, issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board 7, the daily minimum wage rose to P582 in Metro Cebu and P542 in other covered areas.
Dole 7 Director Emmanuel Ferrer said in an earlier statement that compliance with the new wage order is mandatory. Workers who do not receive the prescribed rates may file complaints with the labor department, which may inspect non-compliant establishments.
Insufficient
Meanwhile, Ama Sugbo-KMU chairperson Jaime Paglinawan said the increase was insufficient compared with the cost of basic goods and the amount a family needs to live decently.
“Dili gani ni makapalit og usa ka kilo nga bugas humay ang P42 kung ibase nato nga tag P50 pataas ang presyo matag kilo sa bugas humay,” Paglinawan said.
(The P42 increase is not even enough to buy a kilo of rice if prices are P50 or higher per kilo.)
Paglinawan said low wages force some minimum wage earners to take on additional jobs or borrow money to cover expenses such as food, transportation, rent, electricity, water and cooking fuel.
“Ang gidawat nga suhol sa mga mamumuo maoy pagsukod kon aduna bay dignidad ang atong mga mamumuo uban sa iyang pamilya,” Paglinawan said.
(The wages received by workers are a measure of whether workers and their families are afforded dignity.)
The group also cited economic growth in Cebu and Bohol, arguing that workers should receive a larger share of the wealth they help generate. Ama Sugbo-KMU said the combined gross domestic product of Cebu Province, Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City and Bohol reached P1.32 trillion in 2025.
Appeal
Paglinawan called for the repeal of Republic Act 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act, which established the regional wage-setting system.
The group instead urged Congress to legislate a living wage, citing pending measures proposing a uniform national minimum wage or substantial across-the-board increases for minimum wage earners.
Among the proposals cited by the group are measures seeking to peg the nationwide minimum wage to the rate in the National Capital Region, grant an immediate P200 daily increase, or establish a national daily minimum wage of P1,200. / DPC