Good news, modern parents!
The Senate approved the Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2017, which grants mothers 120 days leave with pay, with an option to extend for an additional 30 days without pay.
The proposed law also seeks 150 days maternity leave for single moms, 30 days leave for fathers.
Also, “30 of the 120 days can be transferred to alternate caregivers, such as the spouse, common-law partner, and relative up to the 4th degree of consanguinity, including adoptive parents,” explains Rappler.
The current law provides that mothers who undergo normal deliveries are allowed only 60 days of paid leave, while women who undergo caesarian deliveries are entitled to 78 days leave. Fathers, on the other hand, are given only 7 days paternity leave.
“Senator Risa Hontiveros, sponsor of the measure, earlier noted that the last time the number of maternity leave was increased was 25 years ago or in 1992,” GMA News reports.
A similar measure in the House is pending 2nd reading approval.
