By Leilanie Adriano/Philippine News Agency
LAOAG CITY — Frances Kristy Alegre, a new mother of a two-week-old baby girl in Barangay Badio, Pinili, Ilocos Norte, is lucky to enjoy a 105-day expanded maternity leave which allows her to fully enjoy motherhood with pay.
“I am very thankful for this benefit. As a first-time mom, the government’s expanded maternity benefit package helps a lot as we struggle to raise a baby to meet all her needs,” Alegre said.
In Laoag City, Richard Raralio, acting branch head of the Social Security System (SSS) here, welcomed the implementation of the expanded maternity leave benefit for female workers.
To date, a number of working mothers in the province have already filed their documentary requirements to avail of such benefit.
On February 20, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Expanded Maternity Leave Act, providing 105 days of paid maternity leave to all working mothers and an additional 15 days to solo mothers.
Raralio explained that mothers would also have the option to extend an additional 30 days of unpaid leave.
“The maternity benefits will apply to every instance of pregnancy, miscarriage, or emergency termination of pregnancy regardless of frequency,” he said.
The law also includes a provision allowing the allocation of seven maternity leave days to fathers, raising the paternity leave to 14 days from the current seven days.
Prior to the enactment of the law, women were allowed only 60 days of paid maternity leave.
Christian Andrew Rillorta, Regional Communications Officer of SSS, said the maternity benefit disbursement is expected to increase by about PHP3.6 billion in the initial year of implementation.
At present, the contribution rate for maternity benefit still remains at 0.4 percent of the monthly salary credit of a qualified member, or around PHP64 for every PHP1,760 monthly contribution.
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