NWPC BULLETINVolume 19 v Number 1 www.nwpc.dole.gov.ph January 2015

NWPC, RTWPBs set goals for the “Year of Productivity”

The NWPC held the

annua l NWPC-

RTWPB corporate

planning exerc ise

i n L o h a s H o t e l ,

Clarkfield Pampanga

last January 21 and

22 to set the goals

and targets for 2015.

This year, both the

RTWPB Chairpersons

and Board Secretaries

were invited to a� end

the planning exercise

w h i c h f o c u s e d

o n s t ra t e g i e s t o

implement wage and

productivity policies

a n d p r o g r a m s .

DOLE-III Regional Director

and RTWPB Chairperson Ana Dione

welcomed the participants while

Execu� ve Director Maria Criselda

R. Sy, in behalf of Secretary Baldoz,

read the Secretary’s message. In

par� cular, the Secretary’s message

focused on closing the minimum

wage-poverty threshold gaps and

the promotion of the advisories

under the two-� ered wage system,

enhancement and implementa� on

of the NWPC produc� vity toolbox,

conduct of the 2015 Produc� vity

Olympics, implementa� on of the

re-entry plans of the par� cipants

to the training on productivity,

i n n o v a t i o n a n d e n t e r p r i s e

development in Singapore and

the ISO cer� fi ca� on of the NWPC

and the Boards, among others.

The Secretary, who later

joined the group, also instructed

the NWPC to expand the pool of

produc� vity trainors by developing

an accreditat ion system for

productivity trainors, adopting

the value chain approach in

A new Cost of Living Allowance

(COLA) in the amount of

P5.00 per day shall be paid to

minimum wage earners in Region

XII eff ec� ve January 1, 2015. This

represents the 2nd tranche of wage

increase under Wage Order Number

RB XII-18, which was approved

by the Board last 04 June 2014.

New P5.00 COLA approved by RTWPB-XII

Published on July 17,

2014 at Daily Newspaper, Wage

Order No. RB XII-18 initially

adjusted the regional minimum

by integra� ng the P10.00 – P14.00

COLA under Wage Order No.

RB XII-17 into the basic wage.

promo� ng produc� vity,

working with concerned

agencies in iden� fying

performance indicators

on program outputs

and outcomes for the

convergence programs

o n p r o d u c t i v i t y

a n d c o n t i n u o u s l y

developing informa� on

materials for wage and

produc� vity programs in

animated format to be

linked to the DOLE-LEES.

The Secretary

e m p h a s i z e d t h e

importance of being

ISO cer� fi ed. “By the

end of 2015, I expect the NWPC

and the regional boards to be

already ISO-certif ied. For an

attached agency that preaches

and promotes productivity, it is

just fi � ng for us to prac� ce what

we preach. This legitimizes the

credibility of NWPC as a produc� vity

organiza� on,” said Secretary Baldoz.

I n p r e p a r a t i o n f o r

Labor Day, the Secretary also

d i r e c t e d t h e C o m m i s s i o n

turn to page 5

January 2015 News

Summary of Minimum Wage Ratesas of January 2015

Region’s Wage Order Highest Minimum

wage

Effectivity date

Wage Order No. RB NCR-18 P466.00 October 04, 2013

Wage Order No. RB CAR-16 P280.00 February 03, 2014

Wage Order No. RB I-16 P253.00 February 05, 2014

Wage Order No. RB II-16 P255.00 January 05, 2014

Wage Order No. RB III-18 P349.00 November 30, 2014

Wage Order No. RB IVA-16 P362.50 May 01, 2014

Wage Order No. RB IVB-06 P275.00 February 01, 2013

Wage Order No. RB V-16 P260.00 January 10, 2014

Wage Order No. RB VI-21 P287.00 November 29, 2013

Wage Order No. RB VII-18A P340.00 December 14, 2014

Wage Order No. RB VIII-17 P262.00 October 16, 2012

Wage Order No. RB IX-I8 P280.00 June 10, 2013

Wage Order No. RB X-17 P306.00 June 20, 2013

Wage Order No. RB XI-18 P317.00 June 01, 2014

Wage Order No. RB XII-17 P275.00 April 18, 2012

Wage Order No. RXIII-12 P268.00 May 21, 2013

Wage Order No. ARMM-15 P250.00 December 18, 2013

NWPC BULLETIN

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

Editorial BoardExecutive Director

Maria Criselda R. Sy

Dep. Executive Director

Patricia P. Hornilla

Jeanette T. Damo

Directors

Elvira P. Jota

Atty. Welma T. Sicangco

Atty. Jamie-Lyn Jamias-Garcia

Jem Samonte

Lourdes M. Secillano

Jerome P. Lucas

The OSHC in partnership

with DOLE PDI Provincial

Offi ce in coordination with RB

Caraga conducted BOSH &

Productivity Orientations to

Small and Micro Enterprises

in D inagat I s lands on

Janua ry 27 -28 , 2015 .

A t o t a l o f 2 1 2

establishments from different

municipalities of Dinagat

Islands have attended the

two day orientation activity.

The activity aimed to

orient SMEs, Cooperatives

and Associations in different

DOLE programs and services

like basic occupational safety

and health in workplaces,

batas kasambahay and

productivity programs and

concepts in preparation for

the issuance of COCs on

OSH and GLS as well as

Certificate of Recognition

on TTWS Implementation.

Part ic ipants were

grateful that for the first

t ime since the Dinagat

Islands became a separate

province, DOLE with the

attached agencies made

such initiatives to get closer

to them. Bringing the program

and services within their

reach will help the people of

Dinagat access the DOLE

programs easier and faster.

The Financial Management

Division Chief Ms. Victoria

P. M a c a p a ga l re t i re d f ro m

government service last November

30, 2014 at the age of 60.

Vicky, as fondly called by

her friends and peers, started with

government service in 1981 at the

Commission on Audit where she was

an Audit Examiner II. From 1990

to 1994, she worked for various

private companies before joining

the Commission as Accountant III.

She fi nished her Bachelor’s

Degree in Commerce major in

Accoun� ng and Marke� ng at the

Araullo Lyceum and completed her

Master’s Degree in Government

Management at the Pamantasan

n g L u n g s o d n g M a y n i l a .

Currently, the FMD is headed

by OIC-Chief Ms. Edith M. Saus,

also an accountant by profession.

FMD Chief retires from the service

RB Caraga joins

BOSH Orientation

for SMEs

in Dinagat Islands

by RTWPB-Caraga

January 2015 news

The NWPC attended the

series of mee� ngs organized

by the House Committee

on Agriculture to discuss

House Bill 4333 or the “Rural

Employment Assistance Act”.

The bill is a five-year

Rural Employment Assistance

Program which seeks to provide

temporary employment to

qualified heads of family or

single adult members of poor

households who volunteer to

do unskilled manual work in

rural areas where they reside.

While the NWPC shared

the same perspective that

the poor, vulnerable, and

marginalized workers should be

provided access to emergency

employment and livelihood

undertakings, it maintained its

reservation on the provision

that beneficiaries of the

proposed assistance program

shal l be paid an amount

equivalent to only 75% of the

applicable minimum wage.

A s p a r t o f i t s

recommendation, the NWPC

proposed to amend the

provision by entitling the

program benefi ciaries to receive

the full amount of the applicable

minimum wage in the region.

House Bill 4333 was

filed by AKO Bicol party-list

Reps. Christopher S. Co and

Rodel M. Batocabe. The bill

was patterned after India’s

N a t i o n a l E m p l o y m e n t

G u a r a n t e e A c t 2 0 0 5 .

NWPC supports Rural Employment

Assistance Program RTWPB Caraga recently decided

to increase the minimum wage

in the region with its issuance

of Wage Order No. RXII I-13.

Upon eff ec� vity of the Wage

Order, minimum wage earners in

plantation, non-plantation, and

retail/service employing 10 or less

will receive an increase in the amount

of P5.00 basic wage and P5.00

Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

A s e c o n d t ra n c h e o f

wage increase will take effect

on 01 May 2015, which wil l

entitle minimum wage earners

in agriculture – non-plantation

and retail/service establishments

employing 10 or less to another

round of increase in the amount of

P5.00 basic wage and P5.00 COLA.

Its final tranche will take

eff ect 01 September 2015, raising

Rela� ve to the full implementa� on

of the Two-T iered Wage

System, RTWPB VII issued its

advisory on productivity-based

incentive schemes for the hotel,

resort and restaurant industries.

The produc� vity-based pay

was pilot run in the tourism sector

par� cularly the hotel, resort and

restaurant industries in recogni� on

of its contribu� on to the economy,

capacity to generate employment

and its poten� al for expansion and

development. Prior to the issuance

of the advisory, the Board conducted

a series of consultations with

stakeholders in Cebu and Tagbilaran

ci� es to generate inputs on exis� ng

industry prac� ces on performance/

productivity-based pay schemes.

The adv isor y a ims to

encourage enterprises to adopt

p r o d u c t i v i t y i m p r o v e m e n t

programs in recogni� on of workers’

contribution, ensuring workers’

share in the fruits of their produc� on.

Under the advisory, concerned

establishments are encouraged to

set aside at least 3.0 percent of

gross sales for produc� vity-based

incen� ves to be shared to workers

based on mutually agreed criteria.

W h i l e t h e a d v i s o r y

is voluntary, RTWPB VII wi l l

i m p l e m e n t a n a w a r d a n d

recognition system to encourage

establishments to adopt the

recommenda� ons of the advisory.

the basic wage and COLA by

P5.00 per day in agriculture –

non-plantation and retail/service

establishments employing 10 or less.

By September 2015,

the region will only have a single

minimum wage for al l sectors

in the amount of P268 per day.

In accordance with NWPC

Guidelines No. 2 - Series of 2007, the

said wage order allows exemption

for the following categories: 1)

distressed establishments, 2) retail/

service establishments regularly

employing not more than 10, 3) new

business enterprises (NBEs), and 4)

establishments adversely aff ected by

natural and human-induced calami� es.

The Wage Order takes eff ect

fi " een (15) days a" er its publica� on

in a newspaper of general circula� on.

RTWPB 7 issues Wage Advisory on Productivity-Based Incentive Scheme

Caraga workers to receive increase in basic wage and COLA

by Jerome P. Lucas

by Jerome P. Lucas

January 2015news

and the Boards to document

best program implementation

practices for inclusion in the

President’s Labor Day Speech.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director

General Emmanuel F. Esguerra

discussed the implica� ons of the

2015 ASEAN Economic Community

( A E C ) fo r t h e P h i l i p p i n e s .

He said the country ’s

economic situation is strongly

posi� oned for the AEC given its

robust economic growth, sound

macroeconomic fundamentals,

and high level of confidence

from international community.

There is, however, a need to

address cri� cal challenges in the

labor market such as pervasive

vulnerabili� es, gender dispari� es,

income inequality and youth

unemployment for the country to

benefi t from greater trade openness.

DDG Esguerra said the AEC

creates opportuni� es for countries

to implement reforms that would

accelerate economic growth and

reduce vulnerabilities amidst

stiffer trade competition such as

strengthening its skills training

programs, labor market informa� on

systems and social protection

mechan isms . . For MSMEs ,

linking to the global production

chain and taking advantage of

next-shoring ( i .e. relocat ing

investments countries which have

a ready source of demand and

innovation) would contribute to

their viability and compe� � veness.

He added that while new

jobs will be created, others will

become obsolete. Majority of the

employment gains from the AEC

would be in agriculture, including

agri-based industries, trade,

transportation and construction.

OIC-Director Adeline T.

de Castro of the Planning Service

presented the DOLE Policy and

Program Thrust for 2015-2016 and

the priority convergence programs

on wages and product iv i ty.

Undersecretary Reydeluz

D. Conferido anchored his message

on the need for informa� on and

awareness raising strategies that

would create an impact on our

publics. He adviced the Commission

and the Boards to ac� vely engage

both print and broadcast media in

the produc� vity campaign. He also

encouraged the use of social media

as an eff ec� ve communica� on tool.

By utilizing new vessels,

new forms, and new substances

i n ra i s i n g a w a r e n e s s a n d

support, the NWPC will bring

into reality the similar goal of the

Department towards inclusive

growth, “Higit saTagumpay

at Reporma, ang DOLE Mas

Makabuluhan, Mas Nadarama.”

The program managers

p r e s e n t e d t h e a g e n c y ’ s

2014 performance and 2015

indicative action plans taking

into considera� on the message /

instruc� ons of the Secretary. The

2015 action plans were clarfied

and validated with the RTWPB

Chairpersons and Board Secretaries,

who thenexpressed support for

the a# ainment of the targets set.

NWPC, RTWPBs set... from page 1

NEDA Deputy Director General

Emmanuel F. Esguerra

DOLE Planning Service

OIC-Director Adeline T. Castro

For the fi rst " me, the NWPC-RTWPB Corplanning Exercise was par" cipated by the Regional Directors

Luzon Group Visayas Group Mindanao Group

NWPC Offi cers and staff

In line with its internal governance

policy, the NWPC held its Annual

Financial Workshop back to back with

a seminar on Unifi ed Accounts Code

Structure (UACS) last January 27-29,

2015 at the Kimberly Hotel in Manila.

The seminar was par� cipated

by the NWPC - Financial and

Management Div is ion (FMD)

personnel as well as the accountant

and budget designatesof its 16

Regional Tripartite Wages and

Productivity Boards (RTWPBs).

D u r i n g t h e o p e n i n g

ceremonies, NWPC Executive

Director Maria Criselda R. Sy

welcomed the par� cipants to this

annual event. She emphasized the

need for the par� cipants to learn

the revised government accoun� ng

and auditing code and the new

accounting, auditing and budget

rules and regulations to come up

with accurate reports and if possible

achieve a zero audit observation.

She also underscored the need to

refl ect the value for money of the

NWPC and RTWPB programs and

projects by ensuring that required

documents such as project/program

monitoring reports and other

pertinent supporting documents

(project proposal, ac� on plans/PIPs)

are included in the processing and

submission of fi nancial reports. She

added that they should assist their

Chairpersons and Board Secretaries

in explaining to their auditors

their programs and projects and if

possible, invite them to some of the

ac� vi� es of the Boards to familiarize

them with their tasks and func� ons.

Re p r e s e n t a t i v e s f ro m

the Department of Budget and

Management (DBM) and Commission

January 2015News

on Audit (COA) were invited as

resource persons for the said seminar.

Updates and issues pertaining

to COA and DBM Rules and

Regula� ons were tackled on the

first day by the COA Resident

Auditors led by Ms. Susan V.

Tomangan and DBM officers

led by Asst. Director Dante B.

de Chavez as resource persons.

O n t h e s e co n d d ay,

COA Auditor Marilyn C. Dibat

p r e s e n t e d t h e UA C S a n d

assisted the participants in the

preparation of their respective

fi nancial reports in conformance

with the Philippine Public Sector

Accoun� ng Standards and UACS.

The UACS provides a framework

for iden� fying, aggrega� ng and

reporting financial transactions

in budget prepara� on, execu� on,

accounting and auditing. The

purpose of the UACS is to

enable the timely and accurate

report ing of actua l revenue

col lect ions and expenditures

against budgeted programmed

revenues and expendi tures .

On the last day, the FMD

presented to the par� cipants

the 2015 approved budget with

which the regional accountant and

budget designates were given � me to

assess their respec� ve budgets.

The session ended with

NWPC Deputy Execu� ve Director

Jeane! e T. Damo delivering inspira-

� onal messages to the par� cipants.

In her message, she emphasized the

important role of the par� cipants

in managing the fi nancial resourc-

es of the Boards, � mely submis-

sions of accurate fi nancial reports

and in securing an “unqualifi ed

opinion” status in its audit fi ndings.

NWPC holds its Annual Financial Workshop cum UACS Seminar

January 2015 News

In response to the growing number

of tourist arrivals in the region’s

most attractive islands, Regional

Tripartite Wages and Productivity

Board VI. in coopera� on with the local

government units, various national

government agencies and private

sector fi rms, implemented the Pier to

Port Project (P2P) – an enhancement

of the Service Quality Program.

The ultimate goal of the

project is to address the concerns

of key employment generators and

consequently to improve the quality

of l ife in the islands of Boracay

and Guimaras. The Service Quality

Program is an intervention to the

P2P by consciously creating error-

free service at any point in the

tourism supply chain and maintaining

compliance with all labor standards.

In 2013, Boracay received 615,508

foreign tourists and 748,093 local

tourists, breaching the 1.5-million mark

in 2014. Meanwhile, Guimaras had an

es� mated 60,000 tourist arrivals in 2014.

It was in 2012 when various

employers’ and workers’ groups in

Boracay signified their interests to

work with DOLE-RO VI and the local

government of Malay to promote

service quality in the tourism industry.

Currently, the P2P in Boracay is

being led by the Industry Tripartite

Council (ITC) of Boracay, the local

government unit, Department of

Tourism (DOT), and Boracay Alliance..

The P2P was then replicated

in Guimaras, with the conduct of a

training on Service Quality last July

9-10, 2014. It was par� cipated in by

the members of the Guimaras Hotels

and Resorts Associa� on, Jordan Motor

Banca Multi-purpose Cooperative,

and the staff of Guimaras Provincial

Tourism office. It was followed by a

training on basic tour guiding, first

aid, and disaster preparedness --- all

under the P2P Program coordinated

by the local government units.

RTWPB VI showcases Pier to Port Project

Labor Standards on Wage and

Wage Related Benefi ts

DOLE-BWC

February 27

Handling Administrative Cases

DOLE-Legal Service

March 19

DO 18-A, Legitimate Forms of

Contracting and Sub-Contracting

DOLE-BLR

April 17

Topic 1: New BIR Revenue Regulations

on Expanded “De Minimis Benefi ts”

(RR - 2015)

BIR

Topic 2: Orientation on Productivity Tool

Box

NWPC

May 14

Orientation on ECC Benefi ts

DOLE-ECC

May 29

Topic 1: Orientation on NCR-Wage Order

RTWPB-NCR

Topic 2: Gainsharing Program

NWPC

June 19

Correcting Wage Distortion

NWPC

July 19

Occupational, Safety and Health

DOLE-OSHC

August 19

Post Employment and Other Related

Concerns

DOLE-Legal Service

September 18

Tax Exemption for Minimum Wage

Earners and Other Related Issues

BIR

October 16

Advisory on the Implementation of

Productivity Based Incentives-NCR

RTWPB-NCR

November 13

Labor Standards on Wage and Wage

Related Benefi ts

DOLE-BWC

December 09

For more information and

confi rmation on any of the

Learning Sessions, you may

visit our website at

www.nwpc.dole.gov.ph

2015 NWPC

Learning Sessions