MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte’s signing of the Expanded Maternity Leave Law won’t affect the employability of women or make employers reluctant to hire them, stressed Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.
Employers must consider giving women additional leaves and benefits as part of their “social service” and those who won’t follow the newly-signed law would be held accountable, he added.
“Yung dagdag ng (the expanded) maternity leave – number of days as well as the benefits – that will only lessen the profits. Eh malaki naman talaga ang profit ng mga employers. Kumbaga, social service nila ‘yun,” Panelo said.
Pregnant women should not be discriminated, he added.
“Bawal ang discrimination sa atin. Those who do will be held accountable. (So) I don’t think they (employers) will,” stressed Panelo. “Saka ang mga Pilipino family-oriented, these industrialists, businessmen will understand.”
President Duterte signed into law the measure granting additional maternity leave benefits to all female workers regardless of civil status or legitimacy of the child.
Working women will now have 105 days of maternity leave with full pay and the option to extend for another 30 days without pay, while solo mothers have additional leave of 15 days.
Panelo said employers must follow the new law regardless of what is stipulated in their companies’ rules and regulations.
“They will have to follow the law now. Wala na silang choice,” he said./PN
