DAVAO CITY (February 24) — The recent signing of the Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) Law will not discourage employers to hire women, said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello over the weekend.
Bello said employers should look at the positive side of the law, saying happy employees are more productive because they are well motivated.
“Having happy workers, will increase production, employers should not be discouraged, it will even mean increased productivity,” Bello stressed.
On Friday, Duterte signed the law expanding the women maternity leave from 60 to 105 days.
Though the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) has yet to be released, some sector expressed apprehensions, that the same law will hinder companies to hire women workers.
Gabriela women’s group however, viewed the signing of the law as victory for women workers, saying it will mean longer rest for new mothers, their body can rest well and longer bonding time with the infant.
Gabriela says, “Forty-five days more can make a lot of difference. By increasing to 105 days what is just 60 days of maternity leave working mothers are entitled to at present, we as a society show the importance, we give to developing our human resources from the womb,” the group said in a statement.
For so many years, women groups have been working for the signing of the law, Last Friday President Rodrigo Duterte ended the long wait.-Editha Z. Caduaya/NewsLine.ph
