A sure way to make your life easy

Even before the Kasambahay Bill was passed, hubby and i agreed to enroll our helper in SSS, Philhealth and Pag-ibig.  It's just our own little way of showing that we appreciate the hard work and care she is giving our child.

But as working mommies, we can't afford to waste time in long lines in banks or Bayad Centers to pay the monthly contribution. Did you know that you can remit monthly SSS contributions online? Thank God for online banking!

As of posting, i see only Metrobank Direct that accepts online payment of SSS premium. Here's how.

Log on to Metrobank Direct. On the homepage, click pay bills. On the special bills tab, scroll down and look for SSS. Check the type of membership - if voluntary,  self employed or OFW.

[caption id="attachment_2286" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Check out the special bills tab to see other offices or companies that accept online payment.[/caption]

On the Subscriber/Account No. tab, enter the the 10-digit SSS Number followed by the month and year you're paying for. So if you're paying for May 2013, the input should be XXXXXXXXX052013. If paying for June 2013, then type in XXXXXXXXX062013.

Leave the Reference No. blank. Type in your contact number for the Phone No. Enter the amount you're paying. Check the details before clicking continue.

Once you have entered this payment, you will be receive an email confirming your payment.

[caption id="attachment_2555" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Check again before clicking confirm.[/caption]

Refer to this table from SSS to see how much the required contribution per month, depending on the member's salary.  The employer must pay the SSS premium if the helper's month salary is less than P5,000.  Read this Frequently Asked Questions  for more information on the Kasambahay Law.

[caption id="attachment_2284" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The New SSS monthly contribution table.
Source: https://www.sss.gov.ph/sss/index2.jsp?secid=111&cat=2[/caption]

I'm still in the process of getting for her online SSS account, so she'll be able to confirm SSS payment premiums herself. Here's a guide on how to create your own SSS account. For starters, you'll need an email account (of course), your SSS Number and the SBR number which is indicated in your latest receipts from SSS counters, banks or payment stations. Any member can apply for an online account as long as he has posted at least one month's worth of contribution. If you do not have an online SSS account yet, you can get started  here. 

The monthly premium payment deadline for self-employed and voluntary members depends on the last digit of the SSS number.

• if ending with 1 or 2 - 10th of the month


• if ending with 3 or 4 - 15th of the month


• if ending with 5 or 6 - 20th of the month


• if ending with 7 or 8 - 25th of the month


• if ending with 9 or 0 - last day of the month

Read this for more details on SSS premium deadlines.

How i wish all dues and fees can be paid through the internet! That will not only save us time wasted on long queues, we'll also save on gas! Plus that's less time away from the child as well!

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Who has time to wash the pump parts?

First off, let me tell yah that washing these pump parts is the most hated job of this lazy mommy! I don't know but i just find it too tedious! It's taking time away from my boy while at home. In the office, i don't have the luxury of time to wash them every..... single.... time!

But what's a mama gonna do? Someone's gotta do it so that someone might as well be me,  since i am too OC to let anyone else do this task!

This is why i'm trying to find ways to make washing pump parts in the office much easier.

First know that I don't wash the parts after every use.  My rationale for this is that breast milk stays good at room temp until  6 to 8 hours   according the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. My own  bm shelf life is 4 hours, because of varied ambient temperature in my workplace.  Personally, if it's within the 4-hour interval, i reuse the parts.

(Disclaimer: If you have access to a fridge, play safe and keep the parts there until your next use.)

Having a refrigerator nearby would have been perfect, but our lactation station is not accessible to me. It's on our ground floor in the clinic, while my office is at the second floor.  I try to limit per pumping session up to 15 minutes. Going up and down the stairs every time is just a no-no for me. So i do my pumping business right on my own work station.

If you're still queasy about leaving the parts at room temp, bring a big cooler to store all parts - bottles, flanges, valves and connector. This can act as your mini ref so bring in a lot of ice packs, too.  Warning: This can be bulky and heavy to lug around!  I used to do bring in a big Lock and Lock cooler to store my pump parts, too! But i got lazy doing this, so when my baby turned one year old, i stopped doing this. Hence, my 4-hour rule.

When my 4 - hour rule is up, then i face the music and wash up.

Here' s my setup:

[caption id="attachment_2235" align="aligncenter" width="256"] Here are the items for my washing up ritual.[/caption]

• Clean water- i raid our office's drinking station for this!


• Lots of clean white cloth -  for drying and wiping


• Food grade container - should be big and deep enough to submerge the parts


• Chicco sanitizing liquid - This is available in most baby section of malls at P300 per 1 Liter. If this sterilizing liquid is not available, a very mild cleanser can do the job. I use Messy Bessy natural dish cleaner.


• Alcohol - to sanitize through out the washing procedure


• Tissue - to wipe any mess or spills

My cleaning procedure

• Mix 1 doze of the sterilizing liquid ( see label for instruction and dosage) with 1 liter of clean drinking water. Or add a few drops of dish washing liquid to the water.


• Dismantle the valves and flanges into separate parts to ensure all the breast milk trapped inside these parts are washed away.


• Submerge the pump parts to be washed for at least 1 hour.


• Rinse thoroughly with drinking water until any trace of soap or grease is gone.


• Never lay the parts on your keyboard or the sink, use the clean cloth as liner. Make sure your hands are clean before touching the parts.


• Air dry for a few minutes and wipe with a clean cloth.  Air drying would have been ideal but since time is of the essence here, use clean cloths to wipe the flanges, valves and bottles to try.

Bring extra parts to save cleaning time!

I bring at least 4 4oz bottles so i have fresh ones every pump.

It's actually a good idea to have spare flanges, valve and bottles so you won't need to wash these in the office. But pump parts are expensive.  Buying extra parts before the need to replace them will eat a large portion of our budget.

There! Just some tips from a lazy mommy like me.  Every second you save on pumping and cleaning  will  give you extra time to do more work in the office, right?

How about you, how do you wash your pump parts? It would be nice to hear some more time-saving tips!

Also worth reading:

• More tips for working and breastfeeding mommies 


• Office Pumping after on year


• How to serve breastmilk while you're not with baby. 

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Rights of the Filipina Working Mom

I have just about 16 months of motherhood and i could not ask for anything more! Being a mother has totally met, and oftentimes,  exceeded,  my expectations. I also have the rest of my life being the doting mommy to this wonderful little human being! It's been just over a year and i think i've changed a lot, for the better i hope! Mother's Day is just around the corner and what better way to remember this day than to list down some of the rights of Pinay working mommies!

Maternity leave

• Every regularly employed mom should be given about one month paid maternity leave by her company after a normal delivery. Maternity leave after CS is about 78 days (approximately three months). She can also take two weeks off before her expected date of delivery.  The bad news ,  i think this, this applies to REGULAR employees only. The leave arrangement varies for contractual or project-based workers.


• In hindsight, i'm actually thankful that i had c-section, i had 3 months time off with my newborn!  But did you know the Filipino moms have a short period of maternity leave compared to other countries? In Norway, which is among the best place for moms according to the 2013 State of the World's Moms, maternity leave lasts for 36 to 46 weeks! In Denmark, maternity leave is 0ne year! I'd love to have given birth there! haha


• Imagine if Filipino moms have longer time off after giving birth. They'll have longer time to bond with baby.  Surely, they'll breastfeed longer! Some moms stop breastfeeding after the first month because they have to return to work already!

Maternity allowance

• Aside from paid time off, working moms who are pregnant are entitled to   SSS maternity benefit. This is cash allowance for female workers who are not able to work because of  child birth or miscarriage.  Naturally, the SSS maternity benefit is larger for CS cases. Click here for the computation.


• This benefit can only be released to you if your SSS records and contributions are in order.  So better review the records and notify your HR as soon as you confirmed your pregnancy. You'll have to file an SSS maternity notification form. If you undergo cesarean delivery, you should submit a medical certificate from your OB. By the way, even a self- employed or contractual worker moms can avail of this maternity benefit.


• Ideally, you should receive the SSS check one month before your expected date of delivery. The SSS maternity benefit i got was spent to buy a swanky double electric breast pump! So better have this in order, sayang din ang benefit na ito!

Health coverage 

• Working moms are entitled to health benefit coverage when they give birth.  This mean that upon billing, hospitals are required to deduct this  coverage from your bill.  This automatic deduction will only happen if your records are updated and you have processed the required documents. You need to submit Philhealth Claim Form 1 to your hospital (make sure that the hospital is Philhealth-accredited). You also need your latest available Member Data Record, which you can get from your Human Resource Department or from the Philhealth office where you pay your premiums.  Click this for more information on Philhealth  medical availments.


• If these papers are not in order upon your checkout, you'll have to personally file for reimbursement. That's totally a hassle and the reimbursement check will be released after two loooonnggg  months.


• For normal delivery the amount deducted is P6,500 to P8,000 (depending on type of hospital). For cesarean delivery, the Philhealth coverage is P19,000. Read this for more information about Philhealth coverage.


• Lucky are those with HMO that cover at least a portion of the maternity bill!

Lactation breaks

• I know I sound like a broken record when i say, "Breastfeeding is possible even after you return to work"! BUT IT'S TRUE! By law, employers should give lactation breaks - at least 40 minutes within an 8-hour period to pump milk at work.  But the problem is not all offices or companies provide accessible lactation stations, which make expressing breast milk much more comfortable. This is among the reasons why breastfeeding while working is such a challenge!

Skin-to-skin contact right after giving birth

• This is not just for working moms! All moms should be given ample time right after giving birth to bond and experience "breast crawl".  This is among my frustrations, since it was an emergency cs delivery for me and my baby was not well enough. He had a hard time breathing during the first hour!


• According to the Department of Health, "Unang Yakap" helps decrease new born mortality and it increases bonding between mom and her infant. I do hope i get to do this on my next pregnancy! For preggy mommies, ask your OB about the hospital's protocol about this.

Happy Mother's Day to all especially to Pinay working moms!  I wish that every mommy be empowered to KNOW and ASSERT her right!

Also worth reading:

• Downloadables for pregnant moms and mos to be


• Alarming facts about breastfeeding in the Philippines


• For breast milk givers and takers

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The Dilemma of a Working Mama

Yes, I’m among the millions of moms who, sadly, have to her child behind every day to “earn a living”! Being a working mom is the norm nowadays but I can’t help but be sad as I leave my son at home.  I always think that every day that passes while I’m at work is time with my son lost!

I'm also among the millions of moms who agonize daily about entrusting the welfare of her son to caregivers. I'm one of those who multitask at work.  On one hand, i juggle the daily requirement of the job and on the other hand, i also cater to the daily needs of my child.

I'm among the moms who shed a tear upon hearing the voice of  "disgruntled" child over the phone, probably asking, "Mommy, what time ka uwi?" 

Working from home or being a housewife is out of the question! My job is important for us! Needless to say, the household can’t run on a single income so this mama just gotta shut up and deal with being a working mama!

I've been a working mama for just a year now, this is still work in progress, but here are some ways that can help make this setup work!

Make the most out or your weekends!

Since you can’t be with the baby 24/7, make it a point to spend weekends with the family! You don’t have to spend much, just being together and enjoying a simple meal can make the time spent worthwhile!

[caption id="attachment_3079" align="aligncenter" width="300"] We have the kid in tow even on weekend errands![/caption]

Be a hands-on mom at home.

• I make it a point to cook for my child and feed him as often as I can!  Since I’m out of the house 1 pm to 9pm, I make sure that the remainder of my waking hours are spent taking care of the family.  This way, my child won't see me as an absentee mom! Before leaving for work, i also prepare his bottles of milk and food so that the caregivers will just reheat it.  At least i have an idea what's he's eating while i'm away.

Deal with separation anxiety positively.        

• I’m not really sure if this is the right way to deal with separation anxiety, but I don’t say goodbye to my kid when I leave for the office. Sometimes he throws a fit seeing me leave. Sometimes he does not seem to bother when i leave.  I guess when he gets older, he should be told  why mommy leaves him every day.  I need to communicate with my son better so he'll understand the importance of my work.

Leave work in the office!

• Avoid bringing work at home, unless absolutely necessary.  When i was single i used to bring files and files of office work at home. That's the procrastinator in me.  But now that i'm a mama, i make sure that 100% of my family time is spent with the family.  Although my line of work calls for being "on call" all the time, i make sure there's a clear line separating work and home affairs.  Mommies must manage time efficiently in the office so you won't have to bring your work home.

Have trustworthy caregivers!

• This is my secret weapon how I’m still able to work and leave my kid  at home. I have reliable and trustworthy partners at home - my mother-in-law and father-in-law plus the help. I'm at peace knowing that my son doesn't go astray while i'm away. I have my mother-in-law who oversees taking care of baby.  Our help is very efficient and very masipag.  That's why my son  doesn’t go hungry, dirty or unattended! At least that's the silver lining in all this.  I really am thankful that i'm leaving my son in good hands.

These are  just some ways to keep this system going.  How about you, how do you deal with being a working mama?

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