ANGELES CITY -- Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan and the Gender and Development (GAD) office of this city have announced their support to Senator Pia Cayetano's Senate Bill 2710, or the proposed Expanded Maternity Leave Law.
The bill seeks to expand the maternity leave of working mothers—married or unmarried—from 60 days to 90 days. The bill’s aim is to provide working mothers "sufficient time to take care of their newborn babies and regain their full health," said Cayetano, in her explanatory note.
Pamintuan noted that the proposed law is "for the entire family and will ensure greater bond between the mother and the infant."
For her part, Angeles City GAD Officer Poyen Pineda-David said that, "The longer leave would allow working mothers to complete the exclusive breast-feeding of their babies for six months. This will contribute to better health for the children and the mothers too."
In her bill, Cayetano also stated that, "According to a study cited by Time magazine, mothers who immediately resume work after giving birth experience disparaging health and increased personal stress. This, in turn, affects the total well-being of the family, including the health and cognitive development of the children."
"Our family is most important to us. A healthy family contributes to a healthy society and community," Pamintuan said.
Once approved, the proposed law will give a working mother in the government, who has rendered an aggregate service of at least six months in the last 12 months, a maternity leave of 90 days with full pay based on her average weekly or regular wages, whether the delivery was normal or Caesarean. She may also opt to seek an additional maternity leave of 30 days without pay provided her employer would be notified in writing before the 75th day of maternity leave.
In the private sector, a working mother, who has paid at least three monthly maternity contributions in the 12-month period preceding the semester of her childbirth, abortion or miscarriage and who is currently employed, shall be paid a daily maternity benefit equivalent to 100 percent of her present basic salary, allowances and other benefits or the cash equivalent of such benefits for 90 days. (AC-CIO)