House Deputy Speaker Pia S. Cayetano hailed the passage of the Expanded Maternity Leave law which provides 105 days of paid maternity leave to Filipino working mothers.
A known advocate of Filipino families and children, Cayetano thanked President Duterte for signing the measure, thus, giving working mothers more time to recover and to take care of their newborn after giving birth.
“This measure is an acknowledgement of the dual role of women in society: As members of the work force and as mothers,” she stressed.
The principal author and sponsor of the expanded maternity bill in the House of Representatives, Cayetano also led the passage of the original version of the measure in the Senate back when she chaired the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality in the 16th Congress.
The Taguig City representative also thanked Duterte for listening to her position on the urgency of enacting the measure for women workers and for eventually backing the proposal. The President had said during his endorsement of Cayetano at the PDP-Laban kickoff rally in Bulacan last week that he would always listen to the lady lawmaker’s advice in addressing the problems of the country.
Cayetano acknowledged her colleagues in Congress, particularly House Committee on Women and Gender Equality chairperson Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, and the previous chairperson, former Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, for paving the way towards the successful passage of the measure.
Cayetano also acknowledged then Special Assistant to the President Bong Go, for heeding and acknowledging the stand of women advocates and relaying this to the President.
