The Philippines is another step closer to having a law that will grant expectant mothers more than 100 days of maternity leave.
Yesterday, a bicameral conference committee composed of lawmakers from the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives passed The Expanded Maternity Leave Bill, even adding five more days to the proposed 100-day maternity leave.
If enacted, the law will require all private and public institutions to give their pregnant employees 105 days of paid leave and the option to add another 30 days, without pay.
Right now, those who had a normal delivery are only allowed to go on leave for 60 days, while those who had a C-section can be on leave for 78 days.
The new rule will apply to all pregnancies, unlike the current law that only requires maternity leave up to a woman’s fourth pregnancy.
It will also give an additional 15 days of leave to single parents.
There are only two steps left before The Expanded Maternity Leave Bill becomes law. It will first need to be ratified by the Senate and House of Representatives, then be passed to President Rodrigo Duterte for signing.
Many Filipinos, including women’s rights advocates, are ecstatic about the news.
Women’s rights party-list Gabriela said in a statement yesterday that it “lauds” the decision.
“This is a very positive start of our #PinkOctober campaign that seeks to highlight women’s health. This is proof of women’s resounding call for lawmakers to increase the current 60-day maternity leave period for normal delivery, which is way below the international minimum standard of 98 days,” Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus, said in the statement.
De Jesus represents Gabriela in Congress and was part of the bicameral conference committee.
Social Security System (SSS), the government’s pension fund administrator, is expected to cover the cost of the paid leaves but De Jesus said that this should not be used as a “justification” to increase contributions, which will further deduct from employees’ salaries.
However, SSS has said that it would need an additional PHP4 billion (US$73.8 million) – PHP 5 billion (US$92.2 million) a year to fund the proposed maternity benefits, which means an estimated 0.3 percent – 0.4 percent hike is necessary.
Must all good things come with a catch?
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