Cagayan Valley LOWEST among regions in minimum wage compliance - DOLE

Cagayan Valley, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported that Cagayan Valley (Region 2) has the lowest compliance rate with the mandated minimum daily wage across all regions in the Philippines.

The report from the department was mentioned during the budget deliberations held at the plenary hall of Congress on September 30, 2025, highlighting the growing concerns over wage enforcement in the region.

As the issue of wage hikes gains national attention, Region 2 stood out with its weak enforcement of wage laws pointing to a clear need for stronger regulation and monitoring.

According to DOLE, as cited by a national media, Region 2’s wage compliance rate stands at only 60.38 percent, significantly lower than other regions such as the Cordillera Administrative Region (95.85%), Region 1 (90.46%), and the National Capital Region (99.97%).

During the budget deliberations, DOLE budget sponsor and Representative of Aurora’s Lone District Rommel T. Angara, noted the wage gap between regions, citing that this year, NCR workers earn P695 (non-agriculture) and P658 (agriculture), compared to Region 2’s P480 and P460, respectively.

To recall, The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) for Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) announced a P30 daily wage increase, effective October 17, 2024, raising minimum rates to P480 for non-agriculture and P460 for agriculture—retaining the wage to date.

Meantime, a high number of violations was also reported. In his talk, Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival "Percy" Vilar Cendaña said high number of cases were recorded in Ilocos and Southern Tagalog, where 63–83% of the inspected companies were found non-compliant with minimum wage standards.