■ HOUSE APPROVES 100-DAY MATERNITY LEAVE ON SECOND READING

The House of Representatives passed on second reading a bill that seeks to extend the paid maternity leave from 60 to 100 days. House Bill 4113 covers all female workers in both public and private sectors, and provides that the benefit shall apply to all pregnancies or miscarriages, regardless of frequency. Some state benefits, such as conditional cash transfers, are limited up to the third or fourth pregnancy only. Gabriela party-list said in a statement that it will introduce an additoinal provision that will specify penalties for employers who use a pregnancy as a reason to deny a worker’s promotion or cause her suspension or dismissal. It said that one reason for a longer paid maternity leave was to give “more time for breastfeeding and maximize the health benefits for both mothers and babies.”

The House of Representatives passed on second reading the measure seeking to extend the paid maternity leave period from 60 days to 100 days.

The bill was approved through a viva voce voting during the plenary session on Tuesday, August 28.

House Bill 4113, or the “100-day Maternity Leave Law”, covers all female workers in government and private sectors.

The bill states that the enjoyment of maternity leave cannot be deferred but should be availed of either before or after the actual date of delivery, whether via caesarian section or natural delivery, in an uninterrupted manner.

Maternity leave should also be granted to female workers in every instance of pregnancy, miscarriage or abortion regardless of its frequency, stated the bill.

Principal authors of the measure include, among others, Gabriela Reps. Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas, CT Teachers Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro and Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat.

Gabriela, in a statement on Tuesday, said it will introduce an additional provision on the measure seeking penalties for employers who will use the pregnancy of the worker to deny promotion or to effect suspension or dismissal.

Gabriela believes that the measure will likewise “provide for more time for breastfeeding and maximizes the health benefits for both mothers and babies.”/