VARIOUS women’s groups on Wednesday lauded the passage of the proposed 100-day expanded maternity leave in Congress on third and final reading, but told the Social Security System to improve its collection efficiency rate to be able to fund the bill once it is passed into a law.
At a news conference in Quezon City, Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera, the bill’s sponsor, said she was looking forward to work with the Senate to finalize the version of the measure.
The bicameral committee will meet to discuss and reconcile the versions of the Senate and House of Representatives, she said, adding they believe President Rodrigo Duterte would back the bill into its enactment into a law.
Judy Miranda of Nagkaisa Labor Coalition, one of the co-convenors of Work4EML Coalition, said “after 26 years, the women sector was able to hurdle [various] challenges at the House of Representatives.”
“This time, we are just too happy that the proposed expanded maternity leave through Rep. Herrera is passed. We will continue to have close coordination with her office,” she told the Manila Standard.
But she raised concern over the “reservations” of the Social Security System of its incapability to fund the law on expanded maternity leave.
“During hearings, at first, the SSS had reservations toward funding. It feared it might not be able to catch up with the [new] additional benefits,” she said.
“We have been working and talking to them [SSS]. Based on the data, the agency has a collection efficiency rate of 40 percent only, while 60 percent [of employees-employers’ contributions] remains uncollected. We told them to improve their collection efficiency. That 60 percent uncollected contributions could be used to allocate funds for the bill, if passed,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said it was only right that women workers be given ample time to take care of their newly born babies and avoid possible complications after giving birth.
Miranda said the House version was just above the 98-day maternity leave recommended by the International Labor Organization but far lower than the levels in Asean.
She added “We know it can still be worked out in the bicam level. The longer the maternity leave, the better for mothers, their children, and their family members.”
Miranda noted that LPGMA Party-list Rep. Arnel Ty tried to derail the passage of the EML during the debates by taking the position of employers who are all opposed to the bill.
“We were aware of Rep. Ty’s position as he truly represented the interests of business in Congress. It is this kind of representation that defined his opposition to EML. He, of course, cannot stand as a businessman and a worker at the same time. This measure is for workers, especially women,” Miranda added.
Annie Enriquez-Geron, Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLink) vice president, said the Government Service Insurance System had assured them to make funds available for the implementation of House Bill No. 4114.
Work4EML is a conglomeration of women and labor organizations from Akbayan Women, Building Woodworkers International, IndustriALL Philippines, Manggagawang Kababaihan Mithi ay Paglaya, Nagkaisa Labor Coalition and PSLink.
Approved by the members of the House of Representatives with 191 affirmative votes, HB 4114 was recently passed on third and final reading that would expand the current policy of 60 days of paid maternal leave to 100 days for working women both in the private sector and government service.
In March 2017, the Senate bill was approved to seek the expansion of paid maternity leave to 120 days. With Vito Barcelo