The Department of Labor and Employment and other stakeholders have signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations for the Republic Act 11210 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Law on Labor Day in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
DoLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III, chairperson of the Civil Service Commission Alicia dela Rosa Bala, and the president of the Social Security System Aurora Ignacio led the signing of IRR for the Expanded Maternity Leave Law.
The signing of the IRR paves the way for the full implementation of the law in which working mothers will have 105 days of paid maternity leave and an additional 15 days for solo mothers.
Prior to the enactment of the law, women are allowed only 60 days of paid maternity leave.
Based on the IRR, mothers will also have the option to extend for an additional 15 days of unpaid leave.
Bello said that even husbands can benefit from the law. “The wife who gave birth, if she wants to be with her husband, can pass up to 15 days of her leave so that he could attend to her,” he said.
The Expanded Maternity Leave Law also includes a provision allowing the allocation of seven maternity leave days to fathers, raising the paternity leave to 15 days from the current seven days.
Unwed mothers can also share up to 15 days to a working relative, Bello said.
Under the IRR, for cases of miscarriage or emergency termination of pregnancy, a 60-day paid maternity leave shall be granted to a female worker.
Other health care services for pre-natal delivery, postpartum, and pregnancy-related conditions will also be granted to female workers, particularly those who are neither voluntary nor regular members of the Social Security System governed by the existing rules and regulations of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Erma Edera)
(Erma Edera)
