Great news, moms!
More than two months after President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11210 of the Expanded Maternity Leave Act, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) finally released its implementing rules and regulations or IRR on May 1. Talk about the perfect Labor Day (pun intended) gift ever!
Because of this, mothers are now granted over 3 months of paid maternity leave regardless of civil status, child’s legitimacy, mode of delivery, and employment status. Here are more of what we can expect from this benefit:
- Working mothers are granted 105 days of paid maternity leave by both the government and private sectors.
- Voluntary contributors to the Social Security System are also covered along with all female workers in the informal economy sector.
- Solo working mothers get a total of 120 days of paid maternity leave – that’s an additional 15 days! They can also share for up to 15 days of paid leave to a working relative to help attend to the child.
- There’s an option to extend to an additional 30 days, without pay. Mothers should inform the employer in writing at least 45 days before the 105 days are up.
- In the event of miscarriage or emergency instances during pregnancy, female workers will be granted 60 days of maternity leave with full pay.
- Fathers can spend more time with their newborn with 14 days of paternity leave instead of the previous 7 days. A mother can pass up to 7 days of leave to her husband with the new law. More time for adjustments, recovery, and just being together with the little one!
For expecting moms out there, you can now plan your maternity leaves ahead and loop both your family and employers in. As moms, we can’t really say we’re ready to go back to the grind and be hours away from the little ones but with this provision, we can make the most out of our precious time with the people we love.
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