Women who earn their living outside formal employment could soon receive direct maternity assistance under legislation pending in the House of Representatives.
Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima has put forward House Bill 9904, known as the Maternity Benefit for Women in the Informal Economy Act, which would revise Republic Act 11210, the Expanded Maternity Leave Act.
The proposal targets a gap in current coverage. Female workers who are not members of the Social Security System would qualify for a single maternity payment each time they give birth, computed at 44 days of the minimum daily wage prevailing in the region where the mother lives.
De Lima framed the bill around the realities of informal labor. “Many of our women earn an honest living as street vendors, domestic workers, seamstresses, laundry workers, drivers, microentrepreneurs and through other forms of livelihood. However, their hard work and tireless efforts are not matched by adequate benefits or job security,” she said.
Responsibility for releasing the cash benefit would fall to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Funding would be drawn from excise collections on sweetened beverages, alcohol, tobacco, heated tobacco products and vapor products, with the option of supplementary allocations through the General Appropriations Act.
The congresswoman tied the measure to broader development commitments. “By providing optimal maternal health care in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, we are not only protecting mothers’ rights but also ensuring the survival and development of Filipino children,” de Lima said in a statement issued Saturday.
The House version mirrors a counterpart in the upper chamber, Senate Bill 1579, authored by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
