The minimum wage of private sector employees in Central Visayas will go up by P33 starting in October.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Labor and Employment said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Region 7 granted on September 5 the petitions calling for an increase amid elevated prices of basic commodities.

This brings the minimum wages in Class A to C areas to a range of P420 to P468 for non-agriculture establishments and P415 to P458 for agriculture and non-agriculture establishments with less than 10 workers.

The wage order will take effect on October 1, 2023.

”The new rates translate to a 7.6%-8.6% increase from the prevailing daily minimum wage rates in the region and result in a comparable 23% increase in wage-related benefits covering 13th month pay, service incentive leave (SIL), and social security benefits such as SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG,” the DOLE said.

Last week, the DOLE announced that minimum wages in Calabarzon would rise between P35 and P50 beginning September 24.