A "menstruation leave" will become available to all female employees in the country if and when this measure from Cotabato 3rd district Rep. Ma. Alana Samantha Taliño-Santos gets enacted.
Santos penned and filed House Bill (HB) No.6728, titled, "An Act granting menstruation leave of two (2) days a month with fifty (50) percent daily remuneration to all female employees in the private and public sectors".
As the title implies, the bill seeks to provide female workers two days worth of menstruation leaves each month.
Daily remuneration refers to the payment the entitled workers will get in spite of their leave.
According to Santos, such privilege has long been given to female workers in the countries of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Zambia.
The lady solon said that although some companies in the Philippines do allow menstruation leaves, these are considered part of the workers' sick leaves.
Santos further said that should HB No.6728 become a law, the employees must not be fired, demoted, or discriminated against on the basis of the menstruation leave.
Employers that violate the provision of the measure will be slapped with a P50,000 fine and or a six-month jail term.
The Santos bill is pending before the Committee on Labor and Employment.