South Cotabato, Philippines – The Provincial Government of South Cotabato is preparing to implement a salary increase for Job Order (JO) workers following the new minimum wage rates released by the Wage Board.
Provincial Human Resource Management Officer, Fredaliza P. Gazo, explained that since Job Order workers are considered part of the private sector for wage classification, the provincial government must align their compensation with the updated minimum wage.
“Our JO workers fall under the private sector classification because there is no employer-employee relationship with the government. That is why we follow the minimum wage set by the Wage Board,” Gazo said.
She added that based on initial discussions, the management is looking into providing an increase of ₱50 to ₱60 per day, similar to the ₱50 daily adjustment granted last year.
“Management has already discussed the possibility of granting another salary increase for our JOs. The proposed adjustment ranges from 50 to 60 pesos per day, subject to the approval of the Governor and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan,” she noted.
However, the effective date of the increase may be scheduled later than expected, as the new wage order was released after the province had already submitted its 2026 Budget Proposal.
“The Wage Board issued the new minimum wage late, so it can no longer be included in our approved 2026 budget. The adjustment will be incorporated instead in a supplemental budget,” Gazo clarified.
Despite this, the Provincial Government remains committed to ensuring fair compensation for its Job Order workers and aligning their wages with our minimum wage standards.
