CEBU, Philippines — The campaign for a ₱1,200 daily minimum wage across Central Visayas is gaining momentum after transport group Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) Cebu threw its support behind the proposal during the region’s ongoing wage review.
Piston Cebu joined labor groups in a picket outside the Department of Education Ecotech Center in Cebu City on August 24, where the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board 7 (RTWPB 7) conducted its first public hearing for the latest wage determination process.
The proposal was formally filed by the BPO Industry Employees’ Network (BIEN) Cebu on June 17. It calls for a uniform ₱1,200 daily minimum wage throughout Central Visayas, arguing that workers’ purchasing power has been severely squeezed by rising prices of food, fuel, transportation, electricity and housing.
The ₱1,200 figure is a target—not yet the new wage
Under the current regional wage order, workers in Class A areas receive a minimum of ₱540 per day, while those in Class B areas receive ₱500.
That means reaching ₱1,200 would require a ₱660 increase for Class A workers and a ₱700 increase for Class B workers.
The existing rates came from Wage Order ROVII-26, which took effect on October 4, 2025. The National Wages and Productivity Commission said the order granted increases ranging from ₱37 to ₱47 and consolidated the former Class B and Class C categories into a single Class B classification.
The latest wage push comes less than a year after that increase took effect.
Why workers are demanding ₱1,200
Labor advocates say the previous wage adjustment has been overtaken by the cost of living.
According to SunStar, Central Visayas recorded extremely high inflation earlier this year, with headline inflation reaching 10.8% in May. Inflation for households in the bottom 30% income group reached 15.4%, while food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 18.8% and transportation costs rose by 23.5% during that period.
Although inflation subsequently eased, workers’ groups argue that prices accumulated during the surge continue to affect household budgets.
For Piston Cebu, the wage issue is also directly connected to transportation costs.
The group has argued that stronger wages could give workers greater purchasing power and help commuters cope with potential fare increases resulting from higher fuel and operating costs.
Drivers are caught between rising fuel costs and stagnant income
Piston Cebu chairman Greg Perez previously described the pressure facing drivers, saying his daily diesel expenses for the same route had risen from roughly ₱1,000 to ₱2,000, while his take-home income had fallen from about ₱1,000 to as little as ₱300.
Piston Cebu had also pushed for a ₱5 fare increase amid higher operating expenses.
At the national level, Piston separately petitioned the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board for a provisional increase in the traditional jeepney minimum fare, seeking to raise the base fare from ₱13 to ₱23.
The group says wages and transportation costs cannot be treated as completely separate issues: workers need higher purchasing power while drivers need relief from escalating operating expenses.
But business groups are warning about the impact
The ₱1,200 campaign is not without opposition.
Cebu’s IT-BPM industry leaders have acknowledged concerns over workers’ declining purchasing power but warned that a sharp increase in labor costs could affect the province’s competitiveness against other outsourcing destinations, including India and Vietnam.
Industry representatives have instead emphasized investments in worker upskilling and the creation of higher-value jobs as part of the solution.
That puts RTWPB 7 at the center of a difficult balancing act: workers want wages that reflect the cost of living, while employers are concerned about whether businesses can absorb a substantial increase without affecting employment and investment.
What happens next?
The RTWPB 7 wage review is still ongoing.
The board is expected to consider the positions of workers, employers and government representatives, as well as inflation, employment, productivity, prevailing wage levels and employers’ capacity to pay before deciding whether a new wage order should be issued.
Public hearings are scheduled to continue in Dumaguete City, Lapu-Lapu City and Cebu City, giving stakeholders additional opportunities to present their positions before the board makes a decision.
For now, there is no approved ₱1,200 minimum wage in Central Visayas. The figure remains a labor proposal under consideration.
But with Piston Cebu now joining the campaign, the debate has expanded beyond traditional labor groups—putting wages, fuel prices, fares and the cost of living on the same negotiating table.
And the biggest question now is whether RTWPB 7 will consider ₱1,200 a realistic wage adjustment—or whether Cebu’s employers and industries can convince the board that such a sharp increase could put jobs and regional competitiveness at risk.
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