Expanded maternity leave, other bills transmitted to Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Bills seeking to increase maternity leave, child restraint systems in vehicles and free technical and vocational education are ready for President Duterte’s signature.

The Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) measure, which was transmitted to Malacañang last Jan. 21, seeks to increase maternity leave from 60 days to 105.

The bill provides for 105 days of paid maternity leave to all working new mothers in the government and private sectors, regardless of marital status.

The leave benefit shall be granted to all female workers in every instance of pregnancy, miscarriage or emergency termination of pregnancy, regardless of frequency.

In cases of miscarriage or emergency termination of pregnancy, the expectant mothers shall be granted 60 days of paid leave benefits.

All employed mothers can also avail themselves of an additional maternity leave of 30 days without pay, provided that they inform the head of the agency, in writing, 45 days before the end of their maternity leave.

Under the proposed legislation employees who are solo parents shall be granted an additional 15 days of paid maternity leave.

The EML also allows seven days from the 105 paid leave credits to be transferred to the new father, regardless of marital status. 

Also awaiting Duterte’s signature is a measure, authored by Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, aimed at protecting infants and young children from serious injuries and deaths from road accidents.

Ejercito, chairman of the subcommittee on special protection for child passengers, noted that 1.35 million people around the world die each year as a result of road traffic crashes.

In the Philippines, government data showed that the number of deaths due to traffic incidents has been increasing since 2006.