Working mothers to get maternity benefits

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MANILA — A bill granting maternity leave benefits equivalent to six months to mothers working in the private sector has been filed at the House of Representatives.

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City) said House Bill No. 4162 mandates the employers to pay their women employees a cash value in the amount equivalent to their two months’ salary preceding the filing of maternity leave and 30 days from presentation of a certified true copy of certificate of live birth from the local civil registry or National Statistics Office (NSO).

Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. (Party List, Abante Mindanao), co-author of the bill to be known as the Working Mothers and Infant Protection Act of 2014, said the measure will grant mothers good working conditions in the offices and factories where they are employed.

The measure seeks to amend Republic Act No. 1161, as amended by R.A. 7322.

The measure also requires reimbursement of the paid cash value of the maternity benefit to the covered employer by the SSS, within 60 days upon submission of satisfactory proof of payment.

Under the measure, a covered employee may avail of an extended two months maternity leave without pay by filing an application for leave at least seven days prior to the expiration of the two months extended paid leave.

Covered by the bill are private corporations, partnerships, associations, non-government organizations, other unincorporated entities and individuals employing at least 10 employees while female individuals who, regardless of employment status, have rendered at least six months of interrupted or uninterrupted service to her employer, and who has made at least three monthly maternity contributions to the Social Security System (SSS).