Cordillera wage board orders new pay hikes for workers

BAGUIO CITY — The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board–Cordillera (RTWPB-CAR) has issued two new wage orders granting increases for private sector employees and domestic workers, effective December 30, 2025.

Under Wage Order No. CAR-24, the daily minimum wage for private sector workers will rise by ₱35, bringing the new rate to ₱505 per day from the previous ₱470.

The increase applies to all minimum wage earners regardless of position, designation, or employment status, based on an eight-hour workday.

Meanwhile, Wage Order No. CAR-DW-07 provides a ₱600 monthly increase for kasambahays or domestic workers, raising their minimum pay to ₱6,600 per month from ₱6,000.

The order covers general house helpers, nannies, cooks, gardeners, laundry persons, and any person who regularly performs domestic work in one household on an occupational basis, whether live-in or live-out.

The order does not cover service providers, family drivers, or individuals who work occasionally or sporadically and not on an occupational basis.

The wage board cited regional economic indicators in its decision, including a 4.8 percent growth in Gross Regional Domestic Product (2023–2024), an average inflation rate of 2.41 percent (Dec 2024–Oct 2025), and the poverty threshold pegged at ₱435 per day.

These adjustments aim to cushion workers against rising costs of living and align minimum wages with the poverty threshold in the Cordillera Administrative Region.