Press Release
March 2, 2016

Cayetano joins fun run, calls for passage of 100-day maternity leave bill

Senator Pia Cayetano led Senate officials and employees in a 3-kilomenter fun run Tuesday, March 1 even as she called for the passage of the 100-day maternity leave bill.

"This is a part of our year-long centennial celebration. It's also the first day of Women's Month. I, along with the Senate staff and the members of the Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point, ran for the passage of the 100-day maternity leave bill which we already passed in the Senate."

Cayetano, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, said the Philippines is lagging behind other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries in terms of maternity leave duration. She said the current allowable number of maternity leave in the country is actually less than the 98-day maternity leave minimum requirement of the International Labor Organization (ILO). Cayetano has sponsored the Expanded Maternity Leave bill.

"The expansion of the maternity leave period shall not in any way diminish the existing maternity benefits granted by the employer. It shall not affect the female employee's security of tenure", Cayetano stressed.

"Through policies like this, we aim to institutionalize standards that promote the rights of working women and protect them from discrimination based on maternity. Join us in continually fighting for the rights of women," Cayetano said.

GAD Focal Point chairperson Ma. Valentina Cruz said the fun run is the first activity in the month-long celebration of the 2016 Women's Month with a theme of "Kapakanan ni Juana Isama sa Agenda."

Officials of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) said this year's national theme calls for gender-balance in leadership and decision making positions both in public and private sector, the inclusion of women's concerns in leadership platforms and the government's development agenda as well as the capacitating and preparing of women and girls to reach their ambitions.

Other activities in the Senate for this month's celebration include baking and meat process seminars, yoga classes, film showing, Magna Carta of Women exhibit, outreach program, logo making contest and the inauguration of the Senate GAD Center. (Apple Buenaventura)

News Latest News Feed