MANILA, Philippines — The P25 salary increase for minimum wage earners in Metro Manila will take effect on Nov. 22, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced yesterday.

Bello said the wage adjustment increased the minimum salary of workers in the private sector to P537 from P512.

“The pay hike will take effect 15 days after its publication in a newspaper,” he said.

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in the National Capital Region approved the wage increase and the integration of the existing P10 cost of living allowance on Oct. 30.

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines earlier expressed dismay over the wage hike, saying it is not enough to cope with the rising prices of goods.