MAMAMAYANG Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima has filed House Bill 9904, or the Maternity Benefit for Women in the Informal Economy Act, to amend Republic Act 11210, or the Expanded Maternity Leave Act.
If enacted, the measure will expand the coverage of maternity benefits for women working in the informal sector in the country. It aims to provide a one-time maternity cash benefit per delivery to female workers who are nonmembers of the Social Security System, equivalent to 44 days’ worth of the prevailing daily minimum wage in the mother’s region of residence.
De Lima’s bill adopts Senate Bill 1579, filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
”By providing optimal maternal health care in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, we are not only protecting mothers’ rights but also ensuring the survival and development of Filipino children,” de Lima said in a statement on Saturday.
Under the measure, the proposed cash benefit distribution will be administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The amounts necessary to fund the maternity benefit would be taken from excise taxes on sweetened beverages, alcohol, tobacco products, heated tobacco products and vapor products, which may be augmented under the General Appropriations Act.
”Many of our women earn an honest living as street vendors, domestic workers, seamstresses, laundry workers, drivers, microentrepreneurs and through other forms of livelihood. However, their hard work and tireless efforts are not matched by adequate benefits or job security,” de Lima said.
