Expanded Maternity Bill Reaches Senate Plenary

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A bill that seeks to increase the paid maternity leave of working women reaches the Senate plenary on Wednesday.

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros, Chair of both the Senate Committee on Health and Demography and Senate Committee on Women, sponsored Senate Bill No. 1305 otherwise known as the Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2017. The proposed measure wants to increase the number of paid maternity leave from the current 60 days to 120 days, and an additional 30 days to solo working mothers. 

"A new generation bill"

Hontiveros said that the last time that the number of paid maternity leave was increased was in 1992 or 25 years ago. She described the proposed measure a "new generation bill" that will respond to the pre and post-natal health needs of different working women and everyday realities faced by the modern Filipino family.

“Today is a very exciting day for many working women. We are now in the middle of our work in reforming our antiquated maternity leave policy by aligning it with international standards, and providing it with a strong emphasis on our women’s reproductive work,” Hontiveros said in a press conference.


"Daddy quota"

Hontiveros said the bill has several progressive provisions aside from doubling the number of paid maternity leave days of women workers. She explained that 30 days of the proposed 120 maternity leave are transferrable to alternate caregivers (spouse, common-law partner, relative up to the 4th degree of consanguinity) including adoptive parents. She called this the "Daddy quota" of the proposed measure.


Available to people in the informal economy

Hontiveros said that the bill also has a provision of 120 days maternity leave for female workers in the private and public sector, as well as in the informal economy, with the option to extend for 30 days without pay.

“This bill is revolutionary. It will not only give due recognition to women reproductive rights, it will also push for a more equal distribution of child care among Filipino families by recognizing the role of fathers, adoptive parents and alternate caregivers,” Hontiveros said.

Under the existing law, women workers may take a leave of 60 days with pay equivalent to 100% of their basic salary, allowances and other benefits. For women who undergo caesarian deliveries, they are entitled to take a leave of 78 days with pay.

The International Labor Organization's (ILO) convention 183 mandates a minimum 98 days maternity leave. Vietnam provides 120 to one hundred eighty 180 days of maternity leave, depending on working conditions and nature of the work. Meanwhile, Singapore, provides 112 days of maternity leave. On the other hand, ASEAN countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand all provide a maternity leave period of 84 days

Is Duterte Using the Mamasapano Case to Divert Attention on Tokhang for Ransom Issue?

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Two years after the Mamasapano carnage, families of the fallen SAF 44 still call for justice. The wounds have not healed. The reason is the same one that torments many people in this country who have lost loved ones to crime and terrorism: justice has been elusive. But the buck now stops with the highest official involved in the disastrous Mamasapano raid, and that is former President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III.

The House Minority report on the Mamasapano finds Aquino liable for SAF men massacre. The bloc based its report on the findings of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Board of Inquiry as well as the Senate report that found Aquino ultimately responsible for violating the police chain of command.

President Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte met with the families of the 44 PNP-Special Action Force elite cops killed on January 25, 2015 at Mamasapano, Maguindanao. But the President seems to be diverting the attention of the Tokhang for Ransom using Mamasapano victims. Even the APC said that the issue helped Duterte's campaign leading to his win in the Presidential elections. I remember even before election, Duterte was already promising to open case of Mamasapano tragedy. He is definitely distracting the public. However, the PNP denied that the revival of the Mamasapano massacre investigation is meant to divert attention away from kidnap-extortion incidents involving rogue cops targeting Koreans.

Duterte revives the Mamasapano questions on lack of coordination and even air support. Why were air assets not used in Mamasapano? he asks. "Only 1 question that bothers me:Why there was a war the whole day, di tinawag ang air assets?"

Duterte is claiming that the botched Mamasapano operation was the brainchild of the US Central Intelligence Agency. Duterte tells Aquino to "Let it be brought to the open. It was an American adventure with the cooperation of some and apparently with your blessing. Sinabi mo, pawis na pawis ka sa TV and you were so stressed and you said, ‘Kasalanan ko ‘yan.’ But it is not enough." 

Top Ten Reasons Why PNP Chief Bato is Not Happy with His Job

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“I think General Bato has to reassess whether his leadership sa PNP still calls for respect, he still commands respect over his subordinates, effective pa ba ang leadership niya.”

We were not sure if PNP Chief Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa was joking when he implored "Would the Korean executive be alive if I did not attend the concert?" referring to his attendance to the Bryan Adams concert at Smart Araneta Coliseum last January 18, 2017. But the call for his resignation "to save President Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte from further embarrassment and restore respect to the Office of the PNP Chief has been the trending talk everywhere.

But this guy has an all-out support for the President that he is ready to support the declaration of martial law should Duterte, declare it. The top cop, however, doubts that Duterte will impose totalitarian rule.

Duterte seems to be tough against drug personalities but going easy with his allies. Seems to be a familiar scene compared from the previous administration.

Can the public expect to see a more serious PNP chief? He said he would kill rogue policemen if he could. But that statement is totally a reverse for suspected drug users who gets killed instantly because they were allegedly fighting back.'

"I'm very angry, offended. Kung pwede lang matunaw ako sa hiya. It happened inside the Camp Crame." pertaining to South Korean Jee Ick-joo who was killed within their turf. It's now police against police. If I have my way, papatayin ko 'yung mga pulis [na involved sa kaso ng South Korean kidnap victim]. says Bato. Now that a police seems to be exposing what really goes on within their ranks, Duterte has been quoted saying "I will oppose efforts to make SPO3 Sta. Isabel a state witness."