What You Need to Know About the Expanded Maternity Leave Bill

One of the most interesting topics that SSS female members have been discussing right now is the Expanded Maternity Leave bill.

Basically, what this Expanded Maternity Leave bill wants to happen is to increase the number of paid maternity leave days of pregnant women who are SSS members.

From  the current 60 days maternity leave (for normal delivery) and 78 days maternity leave (for C-section delivery), it will be increased to 105 paid maternity leave days once the Expanded Maternity Leave becomes a law.

Isn’t that exciting? 

For moms like me, 105 days of paid maternity leave is a big deal.

It’s nothing compared to what other countries offer, like in Canada, I think new moms can avail of paid maternity leave for one year. In other countries, they have longer maternity leave period compared to what we have here in the Philippines.

I’m sure many families will enjoy the benefits of the Expanded Maternity Leave law once it’s approved and implemented.

I remember, when I got pregnant with my child, my pregnancy was complicated and I was ordered to go on bed rest for one year without pay. Imagine how difficult it must have been for our starting family to pay for all my check ups, medicines, and laboratories, on a single income.

Thanks to SSS for my 78 days of paid maternity leave. I was able to receive Php 39,000. That amount was a big help, but it wasn’t enough.

And because I had been on leave for a year (without pay), I had to go back to work right after I gave birth to earn money to help my husband with all our expenses.

And it was difficult – physically and emotionally. 

It was physically difficult because my body, having undergone C-section operation, was still healing and recovering. I also suffered from headaches, difficulty in breathing, muscle pains, and severe stomach pains. I’ve been in and out of the hospital after I gave birth.

It was emotionally difficult because it wasn’t easy to be parted with my newly born baby.

When I went back to work, I had severe depression from being away from my child. It was emotionally challenging. I would always cry at the office. And because I couldn’t handle it anymore, I decided to resign from my job to focus on my child.

Why you should be excited about the Expanded Maternity Leave bill? 

Once the Expanded Maternity Leave bill has been approved, new moms will have more time to heal and recover physically, and have more days to be with and to care for their child.

What’s even more exciting is that the increased number of maternity leave comes with a pay which is a huge help in our finances.

What else should you know about the Expanded Maternity Leave Bill? 

1. 105 paid maternity leave days for new moms

2. You can avail of the Maternity Leave Benefit for every pregnancy, and not only for the first 4 pregnancies.

3. New moms have the option to transfer 7 days from the 105 paid leave credits to the child’s dad, regardless if the parents are married or living in the same home.

4. New moms have the option to apply for a 30-day Leave Extension without pay.

5. Single moms are entitled to 15 additional paid maternity leave days, on top of her solo parent leave credits.

When is the Expanded Maternity Leave be implemented? 

The Expanded Maternity Leave bill has been approved and ratified at the House of Representatives and the Senate. It has now been submitted to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for his final review and approval.

Once our president approves the Expanded Maternity Leave bill, it will now become a law, and it will be implemented few days after the approval.

And while the president and his advisers are reviewing this, let’s hope and pray that it will be approved soon.

Stay tuned because we will update this blog post once the bill has been approved.

RELATED: 

• How to Compute for SSS Maternity Benefit 
• Why SSS Maternity Benefit Applications are Denied
• SSS Contribution Table 2018