The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-XII (RTWPB-XII) conducted two consultations with kasambahays (domestic workers) in SOCCSKSARGEN to determine possible wage adjustments in the region.

A total of 27 domestic workers from Cotabato and Sarangani provinces participated in the consultations in Kidapawan City on 28 August 2026 and General Santos City on 03 September 2026. The Sarangani dialogue was coordinated with the DOLE Sarangani Field Office (DOLE-SARFO).

Participants from both provinces discussed wages, the cost of living in their communities, and their arrangements with their employers.

The RTWPB-XII Secretariat formally documented their statements for inclusion in the wage-setting deliberations. Rather than relying on figures alone, the Board includes workers’ firsthand accounts as part of evidence it will weigh, alongside socio-economic data and employers’ capacity to pay.

Consultations are part of the process RTWPB-XII must undertake before issuing wage orders. This includes wage-related studies and public hearings under Republic Act No. 6727, as amended, in observance of Republic Act No. 10361, or the Domestic Workers Act (Batas Kasambahay).

Under the Omnibus Rules, no new wage order may be issued within a period of 12 months from effectivity of the current wage order. The last wage order for domestic workers in SOCCSKSARGEN took effect on 02 November 2025. (Randy Oliver Legada)