Senator Leila de Lima on Monday, July 5 pushed for the passage of a bill that seeks the granting of paid leaves to private sector workers during a state of calamity, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In filing Senate Bill No. 2307, De Lima seeks a five-day paid leave benefits to private sector employees, regardless of their employment status, who tests positive for the COVID-19 virus or any emerging infectious disease.

De Lima’s measure also seeks a maximum of 60 days of paid leave credits at 80 percent of the employee’s full pay for those who were placed on “floating status.”

“Workers already occupy a precarious and vulnerable position in Philippine society but their situation is exacerbated by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic,” De Lima said.

“This vulnerable sector has long been consigned to the sidelines, forced to endure their struggles and to fend for themselves while the administration continues to allow the deluge of Chinese workers much to their detriment,” she pointed out.

Though the governnment has taken steps to ensure the protection of capital investments in the country during this pandemic, De Lima noted measures aimed at providing social safety nets for workers remain lacking.

“This measure is a social justice tool that upholds workers’ most basic human rights. If we can offer protections to industries, nothing should stand in the way of shielding employees from oppressive situaitons that epidemics of this magnitude have confined them in,” she said.

Under the bill, the grant of paid epidemic leaves shall be made available upon the declaration of a State of Calamity by the President or by the Local Sangguniang pursuant to Section 16 of Republic Act No. 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

For an employee to qualify for an epidemic leave, he/she must be experiencing symptoms of or has a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19 or any emerging infectious disease; has been rendered involuntarily out of work or placed under floating status by his or her employer due to the effects of the epidemic on the company but who remains employed.

Also under the measure, employees who applies for paid epidemic leave must submit the necessary medical records and other proof of eligibility to the employer for immediate action.

Processing of applications for a paid epidemic leave should not exceed three days, as stated in the bill.