If you run a business in Bislig and have workers on payroll, the legal floor for a day's pay is now P475. If you employ a kasambahay, it is P6,500 a month. Both rates come from two wage orders issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) for Caraga, and both are fully in force as of this writing.

The two wage orders

The RTWPB issued Wage Order No. RXIII-20 for private-sector workers and Wage Order No. RXIII-DW-06 for domestic workers on December 9, 2025. Both were published on December 18, 2025 and took effect on January 3, 2026, according to the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).

The orders apply across the region, including the cities of Bayugan, Bislig, Butuan, Cabadbaran, Surigao and Tandag, and the provinces of Dinagat Islands, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur, GMA News reported when the orders were released.

P40 more a day, in two steps

Wage Order No. RXIII-20 grants a P40 increase to the daily minimum wage, split into two tranches of P20 each:

  • January 3, 2026: from P435 to P455 a day
  • May 1, 2026: from P455 to P475 a day

It covers workers in non-agriculture, agriculture, service and retail, and manufacturing. The NWPC described the full increase as roughly 4.9 percent over the previous Caraga minimum.

Both tranches have now passed. Any covered worker in Bislig paid less than P475 for a full day's work is being paid below the legal minimum.

Kasambahays got the full raise at once

Wage Order No. RXIII-DW-06 raised the monthly minimum wage for domestic workers by P500, from P6,000 to P6,500. Unlike the daily wage, there was no second tranche. The NWPC noted that kasambahays received the full increase "immediately upon effectivity" on January 3, 2026. The NWPC's rate table lists P6,500 as the rate for chartered cities and first-class municipalities, which includes Bislig.

What the numbers mean in practice

The NWPC said the board's goal was to reach Caraga's poverty threshold of P12,390 a month for a family of five. As a simple illustration, a worker paid P475 a day for 26 working days earns P12,350 in a month, still just under that threshold for a family of five.

The board is chaired by Atty. Jason P. Balais, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Caraga, and includes representatives of government, labor and management. The NWPC said it weighed workers' needs against employers' capacity to pay.

The big exemption: registered BMBEs

Many of Bislig's smallest businesses may not be bound by the wage order at all. Under Republic Act No. 9178, the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBE) Act of 2002, businesses registered as BMBEs are exempt from the Minimum Wage Law. Their workers remain entitled to the same social security and health care benefits as other employees.

That exemption only applies to businesses actually registered as BMBEs. A store or eatery that never registered does not get it automatically. Under the Go Negosyo Act (Republic Act No. 10644), BMBE registration is handled by DTI Negosyo Centers, including the one in Bislig.

Is a newer wage order coming?

As of October 26, 2026, the NWPC's Region XIII page lists RXIII-20 and RXIII-DW-06 as the current orders and shows no newer wage order or pending petition. Bislig Today will report if the board announces a new round of wage hearings.

If you are being underpaid

Workers who believe they are paid below the minimum can raise it with DOLE. The agency's hotline is 1349.

Sources: National Wages and Productivity Commission, Region XIII wage order page and "Wage Hike for Private Workers and Kasambahays in Caraga" (January 15, 2026); GMA News, "Caraga workers, kasambahays to get wage hike in Jan. 2026" (December 19, 2025); Republic Act No. 9178; Republic Act No. 10644.