The 100-day Maternity Leave bill has finally been sponsored at the plenary of the House of Representatives, reports ABS-CBN news.
If passed, the bill will allow moms more time to recover after giving birth and give them more time to care for and bond with their newborns, particularly through breastfeeding.
In defense of the bill, DIWA Party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay Villar said in a speech:
1 in 10 young Filipino women below 20 are moms
“One in ten young Filipino women below the age of twenty has already begun childbearing: 8 percent are already mothers and another 2 percent are pregnant with their first child according to the results of the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).”
Of this number, she continued, many are single moms, based on a 2011 DOH/UP-NIH study. According to Villar, about 14 to 15 percent of 94 million Filipinos are solo parents.
The first 100 days of life are crucial
“Realistically, most of those solo parents will be mothers,” she emphasized, adding that the present laws governing maternity leaves do little to protect and nurture the first days of a baby’s life, which are the most crucial.
Under present laws, only 60 days of maternity leave are allowed “with pay equivalent to 100% of their basic salary, allowances and other benefits, or 78 days for women who undergo cesarian deliveries.”
The first 100 days of a baby’s life is an important period as it allows a bond to be established between a mom and newborn, mostly through breastfeeding. This crucial period is also when babies develop a natural resistance to chronic diseases.
Senator Pia Cayetano echoed Villar in her co-sponsorship speech, emphasizing that the proposed “100-day Maternity Leave Law” will elevate our workforce to the standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which promotes equality in the workforce and reinforces the health and safety of the mother and child. According to the ILO’s standards, paid maternity leave should not be less than 98 days.
“Studies have shown that the biggest hindrance in successfully breastfeeding one’s baby is going back to work. Thus, longer maternity leave periods encourage exclusive breastfeeding in women,” Cayetano reiterated in her speech.
Benefits for working women and employers
And it’s not just mothers who will benefit, but employers as well.
“A study shows that (the policy) creates a more stable and loyal workforce, including reduced employee turnover and absenteeism, and increased participation of women in the workforce,” she explained. “Through policies like this, we can institutionalize standards that promote the rights of working women and protect them from discrimination… giving them the chance to realize their full potential in service of the nation as envisioned in the Constitution.”
READ: 100-Day Maternity Leave Bill approved by House Committee
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