Social Security System revealed that a total of 122,571 employed women benefitted from the newly Expanded Maternity Leave Law. This number was based on the records for the first quarter of 2019.
SSS CEO and President Aurora Ignacio shared that the 122,571 working women receive a longer maternity leave to recuperate after giving birth. This includes women who have normal delivery and cesarean section. They had a longer time to nurse their newborns and build a stronger bond. This is after the implementation of the 105-day expanded maternity leave law.
SSS is aiming a higher maternity benefit for mothers in 2020. SSS will be giving the new mothers up to P70,000 from the current P32,000.
The longer maternity leave is also aimed to decrease the nationwide infant mortality rate and the number of postpartum depression cases. Mothers can give seven out of their 105 leave days to the father of the child regardless if they are married or otherwise. Add to that, single parents can also extend their leaves though it would be considered unpaid leaves.
Previously, employed women were entitled to only 60 calendar days of paid leaves if they had a normal delivery. Seventy- eight days are given to women who had a cesarean delivery.
SSS has disbursed a total of P2.67 billion in maternity benefits for the first four months of 2019. This is around 15.09 percent higher compared to the P2.32 billion from the previous year with the same time period.
Ignacio also said that SSS is aiming a higher maternity benefit for mothers starting in 2020. SSS will be giving the new mothers up to P70,000 from the current P32,000.
