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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