Tacloban: The Eastern Visayas Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-8) is closely observing the effects of the energy emergency, with only two months left before the second phase of the minimum wage hike is implemented. Department of Labor and Employment Regional Director Dax Villaruel, the RTWPB-8 chair, said the board has been meeting regularly to get updates on the local economic situation and movement of prices of basic commodities.

According to Philippines News Agency, RTWPB-8 is considering the possibility of a supervening event that may necessitate an urgent reassessment of the minimum wage rates. Villaruel mentioned that the board is prepared to review wage conditions if the current economic circumstances warrant such an action. This would involve analyzing whether the situation meets the criteria for a supervening event, an extraordinary and unforeseen incident that could justify a change in wage rates before the usual one-year interval expires.

The wage adjustments were set in motion by Wage Order No. RBVIII-25, which was issued by the board on November 10, 2025. This order grants private sector workers a PHP35 daily wage increase, to be rolled out in two stages: PHP17 starting December 8, 2025, and an additional PHP18 on June 1, 2026. This would adjust the daily minimum wage for workers in agriculture, cottage industries, handicrafts, and small service or retail businesses from PHP405 to PHP440. Meanwhile, workers in larger non-agriculture and service/retail sectors will see their daily wage increase from PHP435 to PHP470.

The board's decision to approve the wage hike was based on several socio-economic indicators. These include the regional consumer price index, the 2023 poverty threshold, gross regional domestic product growth, and the number of micro establishments in the region. These factors were considered crucial in determining the necessity and extent of the wage increase.