Philippine Commission on Women

Za 10:20 AM, Sep 06, 2017

Hi!

Do we have an update re: Expanded Maternity Leave?

06:17 PM, Sep 14, 2017

September 14, 2017

Dear Ai Za,

Greetings!

Thank you for your request dated Sep 06, 2017 10:20:36 AM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch.

Your Request

You asked for senate Bill 1305.

Response to Request:

Your FOI request is approved. 

Response to Request:

Your FOI request is approved. 

We wish to inform you that Senate Bill 1305 which consolidates various Senate Bills on expanding maternity leave has been approved on third reading with 22 senators voting in favor of the measure on March 8, 2017. Please note that until now it is still a bill and not yet a law. Although the bill has already been approved on third reading at the Senate, its counterpart bill at the House of Representative (HOR) is still pending for deliberation. Since the Senate version which proposes 120 days maternity leave differs from the HOR version which proposed for 100 days maternity leave, a harmonized or consolidated bill should be passed by both Senate and the House of Representatives before they, as one Congress transmits the harmonized bill to the Office of the President for approval.  Once signed by the President, the bill becomes a law. Or if not vetoed  by the President within 30 days from receipt, it will lapse into law.

For further information on the status of the Expanded Maternity Leave Benefit or express your support for its immediate passage, please call the House of Representatives Committee on Women and Gender Equality at tel. no. 952-6169. For your future reference, here is a link to Senate website where you can view the bill's history and download a pdf copy (click on all information to browse full legislative history) --> http://senate.gov.ph/lis/bill_res.aspx?congress=17&q=SBN-1305. You may also visit the website of the House of Representatives --> congress.gov.ph and use the search function of the site to get updates regarding pending bills at their level. 

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response by writing to PCW Executive Director Emmeline L. Verzosa at edo@pcw.gov.ph. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made within 15 calendar days from the date when you received this letter. We will complete the review and tell you the result within 30 calendar days from the date when we receive your review request.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (s. 2011).

Thank you.

Respectfully,

Cecile Gutierrez
FOI Receiving Officer