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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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MANILA – Sen. Risa Hontiveros is pushing for the immediate passage of Senate Bill No. (SBN) 215, which seeks to expand paid maternity leave up to 150 days.
At present, women workers are only allowed between 60 and 78 leave days with pay.
“The current maternity leave law must be radically amended as it provides the lowest number of maternity leave days in the whole Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region, alongside Malaysia,” said Hontiveros, chief of the Senate Committee on Women and Gender Equality.
The senator from Capiz said that in Vietnam, women are granted 120 to 180 maternity leave days. The International Labor Organization’s standard period of maternity leave should not be less than 98 days, she also said.
Increasing women workers’ maternity leave, according to Hontiveros, will reduce the mortality rate for Filipino children under five.
Citing the United Nations Children’s Fund report, Hontiveros said the extension of paid maternity leave increased breastfeeding rates from 10 percent to 80 percent, resulting to better protection against diseases and other life-threatening illnesses.
“We cannot punish women workers who give birth with an inadequate and internationally-inferior maternity law. It’s time for a maternity law that has a strong emphasis on women workers’ rights, particularly reproductive rights, which historically have been the onus of women, and have largely been left with minimum respect and recognition in Philippine society,” she said.
Under SBN 215, at least 30 days of the maternity leave shall also be provided to adoptive parents and alternate caregivers. Alternative caregivers refer to spouse, common-law partner or a relative up to the 4th degree of consanguinity./PN
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