Minimum wage earners in Calabarzon are getting a raise. The Department of Labor and Employment announced on October 10 that a daily minimum wage increase of up to ₱45 has been approved for private-sector workers in the region, effective October 26, 2026.
Here is who is covered, how much the increase is, and what workers can do if it does not show up on their payslip.
The Basics
According to GMA News, which cited DOLE’s statement, the Calabarzon Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB IV-A) announced “an increase of up to P45 for minimum wage earners in the region, equivalent to P1,170 per month, effective October 26, 2026.”
- Wage order: Wage Order No. IVA-23
- Effective date: October 26, 2026
- Increase: up to ₱45 a day, depending on sector and the classification of the city or town
- Who benefits: more than 1.56 million minimum wage earners in Calabarzon, citing the National Wages and Productivity Commission
- Provinces covered: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon
Before this order, the NWPC listed Calabarzon’s minimum wage at ₱508 to ₱600 a day, GMA News reported.
Why “Up To” Matters
The ₱45 figure is the maximum. DOLE said the daily adjustment varies by industry sector and municipality classification. Inquirer.net, reporting on the wage order on October 10, listed the new daily rates as follows:
- Extended metropolitan area and component cities: non-agriculture up ₱45, from ₱600 to ₱645; agriculture up ₱25, from ₱525 to ₱550.
- First-class municipalities: non-agriculture up ₱40, from ₱550 to ₱590 (₱45 in Rosario, Cavite); agriculture up ₱25, from ₱525 to ₱550.
- Second- to fifth-class municipalities: non-agriculture up ₱25, from ₱525 to ₱550; agriculture up ₱42, from ₱508 to ₱550.
- Retail and service establishments regularly employing no more than 10 workers: up ₱42 in all areas, from ₱508 to ₱550.
In other words, the increases range from ₱25 to ₱45, and the new floor across the region is ₱550 a day. Inquirer.net said the rates take effect 15 days after the order’s publication. To confirm your exact rate, check the official wage order on the NWPC’s Region IV-A page.
How the Increase Was Decided
Regional wage boards are tripartite. They include representatives of labor, employers and government. DOLE said the board’s decision came from an “evaluation of the region’s existing socio-economic conditions.” The order was then reviewed and approved by the NWPC. According to Inquirer.net, the board weighed workers’ and their families’ needs, employers’ capacity to pay and prevailing economic conditions. Wage-setting is governed by Republic Act No. 6727, the Wage Rationalization Act.
This regional system is why minimum wages differ across the country. Each region’s board sets rates based on its own conditions, so a raise in Calabarzon does not automatically apply in Metro Manila, Central Luzon or anywhere else.
Household Workers
DOLE also announced a wage adjustment for kasambahays (domestic workers) in Calabarzon, taking effect on the same date. GMA News said about 201,000 domestic workers in the region are expected to benefit. Check the separate domestic workers’ wage order on the NWPC site for the exact new monthly minimum.
What Workers Should Do
- Check your payslip for the pay period that includes October 26. The new rate applies from that date.
- Know your category. Find out whether your employer is classified as agricultural or non-agricultural, and how your city or town is classified, since both affect the rate.
- Keep records of your hours, payslips and employment contract.
- Compute your new daily rate using the table above, so you know exactly what to expect.
- Ask HR first. Payroll changes sometimes lag a cycle. A polite written question is a good first step.
- Report non-compliance. DOLE Regional Office IV-A has said it will closely monitor implementation in households and establishments across the region.
What Employers Should Do
Employers in the region should review the wage order’s rate table, update payroll for work from October 26, and check whether any exemptions apply under the order’s own rules. Wage orders typically set out procedures for exemption applications. Businesses should read the official text instead of relying on summaries.
Does It Keep Up With Prices?
For many families, the question is whether ₱45 a day is enough as electricity, food and transport costs press on budgets. The government has warned that a very strong El Niño could push up power bills in the coming months. Labor groups and employers often disagree on the right figure. Employers point to costs, and workers point to what a day’s pay actually buys.
Workers outside Calabarzon should watch their own regional wage boards, which review rates on their own schedules under the Wage Rationalization Act.
What is clear is that the increase is a legal floor. From October 26, covered employers in Calabarzon must pay at least the new rates.
Sources
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/1005445/dole-calabarzon-minimum-wage-up-by-p45-on-oct-26-2026/story/ (checked Oct 12, 2026)
- https://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/region-iva/ (checked via search Oct 12, 2026)
- https://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Wage-Order-No.-IVA-CALABARZON-23.pdf (checked via search Oct 12, 2026)
- https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2321316/list-new-minimum-wage-rates-in-calabarzon (checked Oct 12, 2026)
- https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2321301/calabarzon-workers-get-p45-wage-hike (checked via search Oct 12, 2026)
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