Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Senate moves closer to expanding the maternity leave law in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s stand on maternal and child care.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros recommended plenary approval of the Expanded Maternity bill on Wednesday as chairman of the committee on health and demography
The bill proposed to double the current 60-day paid maternity leave under a law enacted 25 years ago.
Single working mothers will get an additional 30 days off – or a total of 150 days paid maternity leave.
A working mother also has the choice to transfer her 30 days paid maternity leave either to her working husband, common-law partner, adoptive parent, or relative – who will be called “alternate caregiver.”
The father could add the 30-day leave to their current seven-day paternity leave privilege.
“Definitely longer leave is better… yung goal standard naman ng World Health Organization para sa exclusive breastfeeding is up to six months, so 180 days. Pero for now, nakita namin yung pagdoble ng maternity leave na paid plus additional 30 sa solo moms na paid din ay isa na ring malaking hakbang in the right direction,” Hontiveros said
[Translation: A longer leave is definitely better… the goal standard of the World Health Organization for exclusive breastfeeding is up to six months – so, 180 days. But for now, we saw that doubling paid maternity leave days, plus an additional 30 (days) for solo moms – which are also paid – is another big step in the right direction.]
Hontiveros said majority of the senators expressed support for the bill.
For working mother Hosanna Rossel, the proposed expanded maternity leave is a welcome move.
Pregnant with her second child, Rossel believes the first months after birth are important for the baby’s health.
She says doctors recommend breastfeeding for at least six months to two years.
“Ang normal delivery daw is 60 days ang maternity leave. Then, caesarian is 78 days yun,” she said.
[Translation: A normal delivery is equivalent to 60 days maternity leave. A caesarian birth, 78 days.]
The counterpart House bill is also being discussed in plenary.
During a one-on-one interview with CNN Philippines, President Duterte said he is in favor of expanding the maternity leave because he wants babies breastfed.
“I agree that you need a long period of rest sa maternity leave. Gusto ko nga isang taon eh [I would like for it to be a year]. You know why? Because ako hindi ako nagtatanggap sa trabaho. It’s a public knowledge… because I want the baby to be breastfed,” the President said.
Read: TRANSCRIPT: President Rodrigo Duterte’s one-on-one interview with CNN Philippines
