COVID-19 trackers note steady

rise in local transmission cases

CORTES, Bohol Jan 30 (PIA) – From merely three cases of local transmission in January 15, corona virus which causes the dreaded COVID disease slowly and patiently prowled in Bohol since September until if found a stronger foothold enough to start an exponential spread noted this week with multiplying cases traced to local transmission.

It may be recalled that Bohol had its first case of COVID by local transmission in the last week of September and since then, the virus, now a true Boholano has claimed its 27th victim, one who is already in isolation monitored by health authorities.

Even then, Bohol Inter-Agency task Force on managing Emerging Infectious Diseases spokesperson Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez said Bohol still remains to be among the country’s low risk provinces.

Bohol lists six active COVID cases, and without a new case for the day, last January 15.

Three of these cases were of local transmission while the remaining three cases were from the groups of locally stranded individuals, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), returning OFWs and Authorized persons outside residence.

In January 30 however, Bohol Inter Agency task Force on managing Emerging infectious Diseases reports five new cases, nine cases brought in by LSI, OFWs, ROF and APORS and 23 cases traced to local transmission.

From the three to 23 cases, or some 760 percent increase in cases, Bohol has seen a consistent rise in cases since then.

This is an indication of the presence of the virus in the community. Let us all be vigilant and watchful, let us not forget the established health and safety protocols and let us help out local government units in setting up their own systems of monitoring and following the protocols, and keeping up with the basic hygiene, BIATF spokesperson Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez called Thursday in his daily COVID reporting.

Last January 15, the three cases of local transmission were reported from Tagbilaran City, Alburquerque and Candijay.

Three days later, January 18 the three local transmissions remained but the BIATF reported four new cases: three Tagbilaran City residents and one LIS from Inabanga.

By January 20, local transmission increased to 6 cases: four of which were from Tagbilaran with the Alburquerque and Candijay cases as recorded.

In January 21, the cases of local transmission in Tagbilaran City stayed at four, With Alburquerque and Candijay still in the list. Two more cases of local transmission: one from Carmen and another one from Ubay placed the cases of local origins at 8 on that day.

By January 22, local transmission cases jumped to double digits with 11 cases: five cases from Tagbilaran City, while the case of Alburquerque and Candijay were taken out them having recovered from the illness.

In their places however were a case of a resident in Carmen, another in Ubay, one from Clarin, another one from Cortes and one each for Mabini and Dauis.

When January 23 came, BIATF noted 18 cases of local transmission: 6 cases from Tagbilaran, 7 cases from Ubay, along with single cases of local transmission from Carmen, Clarin, Cortes, Mabini and Dauis.

By January 26, Dr. Lopez reports 22 active cases by local transmission, led by Ubay with eight cases, Tagbilaran City with six cases, Panglao with 2 cases, and one each case for Carmen, Clarin, Cortes, Mabini, Dauis and Baclayon.

January 30, at 1:00 PM, BIATF released the daily tracker which details yet another increase in local transmission cases at 27.

In it are 11 cases in Ubay, 5 cases in Tagbilaran, 3 cases in Dauis, 2 cases each for Panglao and Carmen and a single case each for Clarin, Cortes, Mabini and Baclayon. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

BOHOL STILL READY. BIATF spokesperson Dr Cesar Tomas Lopez assures that even with the rising cases of local transmission in Bohol, hospitals, medical professionals and even town based contact tracing teams are ready to track and isolate these cases to stop COVID on its tracks. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

P18 daily wage increase

demandable since 2020

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan 29 (PIA) – The labor department’s order to implement the P18.00 pay differential for private sector workers who were deprived of the wage adjustment in 2020 would boil down to some P5,000 add-on to the family’s coffers.

The order, which should have effected last January 5, 2020, has been held in abeyance in lieu of a motion for reconsideration filed by Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), whose leaders think that an P18.00 wage increase would force losing businesses to close shop, downsize or retrench, all of which would impact on the overall employment landscape here.

With the new order, daily wage earners who were deprived of the latest round of wage increase, would get P18.00 (daily) to P28 wage increase which effected January 2020.

Employers in all parts of Central Visayas, who have not yet complied with the existing Minimum Wage Order since its effectivity early last year are mandated to conform with it and pay their employees salary differentials, orders the DOLE.

The labor department stressed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-7) resolution that said all employers should have abided by the provisions of said Wage Order, which became fully implementable effective 05 January 2020 in all provinces of Region-7, Bohol included.

This too, as the pandemic has forced the Board to postpone another round of law- mandated wage fixing assessments, wage review and determination, as mandated by law.

By law, within sixty (60) days prior to the anniversary of the Wage Order, the Board may start the process of minimum wage determination. This should have been in October of 2020.

To recall, it was in October of 2018 when the RTWPB-7 conducted wage hearings across the Central Visayas to be able to weigh on a win-win labor and management situation with the current increase in cost of living and other factors that would redound to industrial peace in the region.

That time, in the wage hearing held at the MetroCentre Hotel in Tagbilaran, Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry proposed a wage increase moratorium, while an aggrupation of five labor groups calling themselves Bohol Alliance of Labor Organizations, appealed for a P48 across the board increase.

Across the regions, RTWPB sources said majority prayed for wage hike, which the Board agreed, but said it has to weigh on an “everybody happy” formula.

By the beginning of the year and in compliance with the law asking the Board to review the regional wage classification a year after the last wage order, the Board through the DOLE released its wage order ROVII-22.

Covering all private sector workers is the wage order that simplified the workers classification according to regions from 4 categories to 3, and so also with the sectoral classifications.

From P366.00 under Wage Order No. 21, the RTWPB 7 put an additional across the board increase of P18.00 for Class A cities in the Central Visayas, to peg the new wage rate at P404.

Non-agricultural sector workers in Tagbilaran City in Bohol however, which has P 338 daily wage rate as per RO VII-21 gets P28.00 daily increase to earn P356, starting January 5, 2020. Agricultural sector workers here in Tagbilaran which used to get P313, gets P48 daily increase in wages to earn P361.

The for the rest of the towns of Bohol, non-agricultural workers who used to get paid P338 gest an P18 across the board increase to have P 356 while agricultural workers who used to earn P313 gets P18 daily wage increase to improve their take home pay at P351.

For establishments employing less than 10 workers, those who were paid P333 will now get P351.

As this Wage Order came out, Bohol businessmen under Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, especially those who were into tourism have aired losses due to the repercussions of temporarily closing Boracay and the global slow-down in travel due to the diseases, resorted to the local courts appealing for a temporary restraining order for the immediate implementation of the wage hike.

According to DOLE, while Bohol kept a moratorium, the rest of the Visayas implemented the wage order.

Sources at the BCCI said they are still filing for an appeal, but DOLE has encouraged employers to start paying the back wages.

“Workers in Central Visayas, whose employers did not conform to the prescribed minimum wage rates under Wage Order No. ROVII-22, are expected to get paid with their salary differential beginning 05 January 2020,” a press material from the RTWPB states.

In reports, Labor Secretary Bello, who chairs the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), underscored the fact that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards and the NWPC both don’t have the authority to defer or postpone the implementation of a Wage Order.

“Establishments in all provinces of Central Visayas should be able to check whether or not they’ve abided by the provisions of the Wage Order. In the event that they failed to comply with the minimum wage rates applicable in their respective areas, then they should now start looking into the salary differential that they must be paying their workers,” added the Regional Head.

Based on the NWPC Guidelines No. 03, Series of 2020 or the Omnibus Rules on Minimum Wage Determination, the Wage Board may begin determining the applicable wage rates through (a) Motu Propio by the Board or when it initiates actions or inquiry to determine whether or not a Wage Order shall be issued and (b) By virtue of a Petition.

Before any review is done, Director Siaton said that it is important to determine whether or not establishments have abided by the rules of the existing Wage Order.

She urged employers to check their compliance with the minimum wage law and make sure to pay workers with salary differential if they have not yet complied with the Wage Order. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

HAMMERING FOR INDUSTRIAL PEACE. Former Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairperson Mayette Gasatan argues before the Regional Tripartite Wage Productivity Board the need to balance the employer’s capacity to pay and the fair return of capital investments on the issue of wage adjustments, stating that tourism establishments in Bohol were also affected by the decline in tourism arrivals in 2019. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

AGRI WORKERS. From P313 daily wage in Wage Order No. 21, agricultural workers working in the private sector in the towns of Bohol should have been getting P38.00 more every working day, which would have made their take home pat at P351 starting January 5, 2020, until this date. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)