Expanded maternity leave will benefit working moms, kids, businesses — advocates

A legislator and a group of maternal health experts on Tuesday pushed for the passing of the House version of Senate Bill 1305 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2017 to give parents more time with their newborns.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of the authors of the bill, along with experts from various medical societies, said at a press briefing that passing the bill into law will benefit working mothers, their newborns, and even employers.

The Expanded Maternity Leave aims to give mothers time to recover from childbirth, and allow both parents to bond with their new child by providing touch therapy and breastmilk, therefore improving the infant's health.

It also improves workplace productivity. pic.twitter.com/7ILpg9E3Cw

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) February 26, 2018

Hontiveros said Senate passed the bill on May 2017; its counterpart in the House of Representatives is in a period of interpellation.

There are provisions in the Senate bill that will allow mothers to go back to work early or extend their leave. pic.twitter.com/Bv3nNUnU7e

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) February 26, 2018

"Yung pagpapalawak po ng maternity leave, it makes perfect sense po talaga sa usaping pang-medisina, kalusugan, pati sa usaping ethical, kung ano ang dapat; sa public policy, it makes perfect sense," Hontiveros said.

She said the bill is still in the period of interpellation in Congress and faces a few questions from the private sector regarding its possible costs.

"May nagbigay ng research na pag may expanded maternity leave, may mas loyalty sa company... lower attrition, less resignations, absenteeism," Hontiveros said.

The senator added that the Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System in the Senate hearing for the bill said expanded maternal leaves will be sustainable in both the medium and long term.

"May nasabi ang SSS na dalawang taon lang mag-a-adjust yung actuarial life nila, pero pagkatapos nun, sustainable ulit sa long-term 'yung expanded maternity leave benefits," she said.

SB 1305 seeks to extend the paid maternity leave period from 60 days to 120 days for female workers with partners in the public and private sector and 150 days for solo mothers.

New mothers have the option of taking an additional 30 day-leave without pay or allocate up to 30 days of these 120 days to the child's father, whether they are married or not.

Longer maternal leaves will give mothers the necessary 40 days of post-delivery rest, time to adjust to their new duties with their partners, and—according to a study conducted by the University of Maryland School of Public Health—lowers their chance of developing postpartum depression.

Mothers are given a chance to start breastfeeding their child, thereby giving the newborn free vitamins and enhanced protection against diseases such as lower respiratory tract infections and diarrhea.

Breastfeeding also acts as a natural contraception for mothers, who are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to breastfeed for at least six months.

Parents can also take time with providing touch therapy or skin-to-skin contact to their newborn, which can strengthen the child's neurocognitive development.

Many expectant fathers are also in favor of the Expanded Maternity Leave Law as it will give them more time to bond with their newborn and wife than the current seven-day paternal leave allows, the advocates said.

"Kahit sa social media, ang daming nagfo-follow up; hindi lang ng mga kabaro natin, pati ng mga lalaki," Hontiveros said.

"It shows that men also, in Philippine society, yung mga fathers-to-be, ay interesado na mapakinabangan yung up to 30 days leave na pwede i-assign sa kanya ng kanyang asawa o partner para siya rin ay makapagalaga sa baby ng for up to a month."

The senator urged for the passage of the Expanded Maternity Leave Bill a month after the Senate approved it in March 2017. — BM, GMA News