The House Committee on Labor and Employment has endorsed for plenary discussion and approval a measure seeking to grant a 14-day paid pandemic leave to workers who are confirmed, probable or suspected case of COVID-19.
In a virtual meeting, the House panel, chaired by 1-PACMAN partylist Rep. Enrico Pineda approved the “amended" draft committee report on House Bill No. 7909 or the proposed “Paid Pandemic Leave Law of 2020”.
The measure is authored by partylist Reps. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela); Carlos Isagani Zarate, Eufemia Cullamat and Ferdinand Gaite (Bayan Muna); France Castro (ACT Teachers) and Sarah Jane Elago (Kabataan).
It was Baguio Lone District Rep. Mark Go who moved for the approval of the draft committee report as amended by the panel.
In pushing for the final passage of the measure, Brosas laments that hundreds of thousands of Filipino workers have been placed in a very precarious situation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
HB 7909 provides that if the employees in the private sector are confirmed, probable or suspected cases of COVID-19, full 14-day paid leave at the employee’s daily basic pay and monetized fixed allowances given without conditions shall be granted.
Under the bill, a maximum of 60 days paid leave shall be granted, if the employee has been rendered involuntarily out of work or placed under floating status due to the pandemic.
Covered by the bill are all establishments, projects, sites, including Philippine Economic Zone (PEZA) establishments and all other places where work is being undertaken in all branches of economic activity.
The Makabayan bloc’s measure tasks the national government to reimburse the employer for the payment of the employees’ paid pandemic leave, using available funds from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
HB 7909 guarantees security of tenure to all employees who availi the pandemic leave.
The panel approved the measure in December last year.