The signing of a new law granting working mothers 105 days paid maternity leave should not drive corporations to hire more men at the expense of women.
“We do not see the extended maternity benefit discouraging the employment of women. Men and women will continue to get hired as long as they have the skills, knowledge and personal attributes needed by employers,” Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said.
“The truth is, we already have several firms affording superior maternity leave benefits to women,” the deputy minority leader added.
The lawmaker cited the case of multinational business process outsourcing firm Accenture Inc., one of the country’s largest employers, with some 50,000 Filipinos on its payroll.
“Accenture here provides 120 days paid maternity leave to its female staff,” Campos said. “There is really nothing unusual about the new law as it merely aligns our maternity leave benefit with the global standard that entered into force 16 years ago.”
The International Labor Organization Convention 183 sets the maternity leave benefit standard at 14 weeks.
Under Republic Act No. 11210 which takes effect on March 7, “workers availing of the maternity leave period and benefits must receive their full pay.”
Employers from the private sector shall be responsible for payment of the salary differential between the actual cash benefits received from the Social Security System by the covered female workers and their average weekly or regular wages, for the entire duration of the maternity leave.
For his part, Akbayan party-list Rep. Tom Villarin described the new law as a “game-changer.”
"It's a game-changing legislation affirming the reproductive rights of women and their contribution to a productive society," he told Manila Standard in an interview.
"The law recognizes the multiple burdens women bear, and addresses them by co-sharing child-bearing responsibilities by the State," Villarin added.
Under the previous law, a female worker is only allowed a 60-day paid maternity leave for normal childbirth and 78 days for Caesarian delivery.