Ang Pahayagan

MASINLOC, Zambales — The new round of daily wage increase for minimum wage earners in Region III would barely benefit workers in the agriculture industry, which is one of the sectors targeted by the wage adjustments, a fisherfolk leader here said.

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Central Luzon (RTWPB-3) announced on Monday the implementation of the second tranche of Wage Order No. RBIII-26 that will provide higher daily wages for private sector workers in the region starting April 16.

However, majority of those working in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing (AFF) sector won’t profit from the wage hike at all because they are not formally employed as wage earners, said Leonardo Cuaresma, president of the New Masinloc Fishermen’s Association and an officer of the Zambales-based “Bantay Karagatan.”

“The farmers here mostly earn their keep as sharecroppers, while fishermen get their share on a commission basis, so they won’t feel the impact of this wage increase,” Cuaresma told said on Wednesday.

He pointed out that only a few AFF workers such as fishing boat captains and operators of mechanized farming equipment are regularly employed, while the rest are contracted out on a per-job basis.

“Even the regular crew of commercial deep-sea fishing boats only get their share from 30 percent of the gross income per fishing trip after all the expenses and the share of the boat operator have been deducted,” Cuaresma explained.

“In farming, 10 percent of the harvest is shared by the contracted laborers,” he added.

Wage Order No. RBIII-26, which was approved in October 2025, set two tranches of wage increase for minimum wage earners in the private sector, with the first tranche amounting from P20 to P40 made effective last October 30.

The RTWPB-3 said the P30 wage adjustment under the second tranche will increase the daily rates for agriculture workers from the current P540 to P570 in the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.

Lito Figueres spreads corn bits used for animal feed along the Olongapo–Bugallon Highway in Sitio Linoron, San Marcelino, Zambales to dry under the sun. The 61-year-old farmer, who has worked in agriculture since childhood, said he is unaware of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board–Region III (RTWPB-3) announcement on the implementation of the second tranche of Wage Order No. RBIII-26, which provides higher daily wages for agricultural workers in the region. (Ang Pahayagan photo / JUN DUMAGUING)

Wages in the non-agriculture sector, meanwhile, will increase from P570 to P600, whereas rates in retail and service sector will rise from P560 to P590.

In Aurora province, daily minimum wage in the agriculture sector will increase from P515 to P545, and in the non-agriculture sector from P530 to P560. The highest wage hike in the region will be for Aurora’s retail and service sector, which will increase from P475 to P515, or by P40.

RTWPB-3 board secretary Kenneth D. Liza said the second tranche wage adjustments were formulated based on inputs gathered in last year’s public hearings and a review of the socio-economic conditions in Central Luzon.

“The Board recognizes the day-to-day realities now being faced by our workers, as well as the operational pressures on enterprises. This calibrated increase in a way (reassures) that support is extended (to) both sides, to protect jobs and sustain business operations,” Liza added.

Cuaresma, however, lamented that a lot of the supposed beneficiaries would be left out because of apparent gaps in understanding the situation of the AFF sector, which contributes more than 10 percent of the gross domestic product in Region III.

“The wage hike will clearly benefit those who work in factories and offices and commercial establishments, but what about the farmers and fisherfolk who produce our food? Kawawa na naman sila,” Cuaresma said.

The AFF sector counted 10.06 million workers, or 20.6 percent of the country’s total employment as of 2024, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. (TAKTIKOM NEWS AND FEATURES)