Philippines inch towards 100-day paid maternity leave

A Filipino measure that seeks to grant a 100-day paid maternity leave to both government and private sector workers is now making its way through the House of Representatives of the Philippines, one of two lawmaking arms of the country’s government.

Under House Bill (HB) No. 4113, also known as the 100-Day Maternity Leave Law, employees also have an option to extend their maternity leave by another 30 days without pay.

Congressman Antonio Tinio, one of the authors of the house bill, said the current 60-day maternity leave is “extremely inadequate”.

Only yesterday, the House passed the measure on its second reading. It will now await a third reading, following amendments, where it can be approved, and then combined with a separate version that has gone through the Senate of the Philippines.

This will be done by a committee staffed by members of both the House and the Senate. Once they have resolved any conflicts between the two documents, the final bill will be presented to Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte, who can then sign it into law.

The senate version of HB 4113, which was approved on its 3rd and final reading in March 2017, seeks a longer paid maternity leave of 120 days.

Unlike the house bill, which does not increase fathers’ seven-day paid leave, the senate Bill 1305 seeks a 30-day paid leave for fathers.