Expecting Mothers Can Soon Enjoy The Benefits Of The Expanded Maternity Leave

Labor Day gets a new meaning with the signing of the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) for the Expanded Maternity Leave Act! The Expanded Maternity Leave Act, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte last February 20, gives working women 105 days or paid maternity leave, with solo mothers getting an additional 15 days. 

The IRR was signed today by Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Social Security System president Aurora Ignacio, and Civil Service Commision Chairperson Alicia dela Rosa Bala. The signing of the IRR means women will soon enjoy the benefits promised by the updated law. This is good news for all expecting working mothers in the private and public sector who have been waiting since the law was passed.

READ MORE: Expanded Maternity Leave: What You Need To Know

Sec. Bello has mentioned in past interviews that they will expedite the creation of the IRR, and hope to finish it within 45 days as it is one of their top priorities. But despite taking a bit longer than expected, the IRR was completed and signed before 90 days.

The Expanded Maternity Leave Act may the mother's best interests at the core of its creation, but it also benefits men as well, as it allows a mother to share seven days of her 105-days leave to the father of her child--whether or not they are legally married. For legally married couples, this means dads can now have 14 days of paternity leave, with seven days leave granted by the 1996 Paternity Leave Act.

Expectant working mothers can start availing of the 105-days paid maternity leaves and its other benefits 15 days after the publication of its IRR in a newspaper of general circulation.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema and Alex Hockett on Unsplash.