Trillanes proposes to increase maternity leave from 60 to 120 days

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. Photo courtesy of Trillanes’ Facebook page.

MANILA – Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has filed a bill increasing the maternity leave benefits from 60 to 120 days to give mothers more time to properly take care of their new born babies.

Under his Senate Bill No. 2656, Trillanes proposed to amend Presidential Decree No. 442 as amended by Republic Act 7322, or an Act increasing maternity benefits of the women workers in the private sector.

Trillanes said his proposed law would allow mothers to breastfeed their child for at least six months.

”This recognizes maternity as a vital social function played by women and protects the rights of working women and their infants to proper health care,” Trillanes explained in his bill.

He said his bill was in response to the 2008 UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) study that the Philippines was ranked 86th among 190 countries with the highest under-five mortality rate.

”The report also cited several recommendations that would help reduce our country’s mortality rate among which is access to exclusive breastfeeding for a long period of time,” Trillanes explained.

Under his proposal, Trillanes said any pregnant woman who has rendered an aggregate service of at least six months, shall be entitled to the four-month maternity leave “after normal or caesarian delivery with full pay.”