Minimum wages in Pampanga and other Central Luzon provinces will increase starting April 16 after the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board III (RTWPB-3) approved the second tranche of the increase.

Under Wage Order No. RBIII-26, the adjustment adds P30.00 to P40.00 to the daily minimum wage of private sector workers, completing the total wage increase of P50.00 to P80.00, including the first tranche implemented on October 30, 2025.

RTWPB-3 Board Secretary VI Kenneth D. Liza said the increase aims to address the current economic conditions faced by both workers and businesses.

“The Board recognizes the day-to-day realities now being faced by our workers, as well as the operational pressures on enterprises. This calibrated increase is in a way reassuring that support is extended on both sides, to protect jobs and sustain business operations,” Liza stated.

In Pampanga, non-agricultural workers will see their minimum wage increase to P600.00 from P570.00, agricultural workers to P570.00 from P540.00, and retail and service workers to P590.00 from P560.00.

This increase also applies to the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Zambales, with the same adjusted wage rates across sectors.

Meanwhile, in Aurora, the minimum wage for non-agricultural workers will rise to P560.00 from P530.00, while agricultural workers will receive P545.00 from P515.00. Retail and service workers will see a higher increase of P40.00, bringing their daily wage to P515.00 from P475.00.

RTWPB-3 said the wage adjustment was determined based on socio-economic conditions, cost of living, capacity of enterprises to pay, and regional productivity, aiming to maintain a balance between workers’ welfare and business sustainability.