Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano expressed her excitement over news that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) Law will be issued in time for this year’s Labor Day celebration.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) recently announced that it would be releasing the IRR of the newly enacted law on May 1.
“I am very excited to hear that the IRR for our landmark measure will finally be released on Labor Day,” said Cayetano, who was the principal author and sponsor of the measure in Congress.
“A lot of mothers have been messaging us and asking us whether they can already avail of the maternity leave benefits provided by the law. Now, we can inform them that they can do so because we already have an IRR,” she added.
The President signed the EML or Republic Act 11210 in February, granting working mothers 105 days of paid maternity leave credits, among other specified benefits.
A known advocate of women’s welfare, Cayetano had been fighting for the measure’s passage since her term in the Senate, when she sponsored the bill as former chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality.
“Hindi naman madali sa mga babae na maging working mother. Kaya kailangan ay bigyan natin ng sapat na pagkakataon na maka-recover ang mga nanay at maalagaan ang kanilang mga baby bago sila bumalik sa pagtatrabaho,” she noted.
With the law’s IRR now in place, Cayetano said all new and expecting mothers working in government and private offices, as well as those belonging to the informal sector, can now fully avail of the expanded maternity leave benefits, provided that they are members of SSS.
“That’s why I am encouraging all working mothers, especially those who are self-employed like market vendors, to contribute to SSS so that your pregnancy will be covered by the law,” the congresswoman stressed.#
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