Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. BRIAN RAYMUND S. YAMSUAN 
AN ACT 
GRANTING MATERNITY BENEFITS TO WOMEN WORKERS IN THE INFORMAL 
ECONOMY, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO 11210, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The 1987 Constitution guarantees the protection of women in the workforce. 
Article XIII, Section 14 mandates “protecting working women by providing safe and 
healthful work conditions, taking into account their maternal functions.” The basic law 
was unequivocal in this commitment, making no distinction between workers in the 
formal and informal economy. This Constitutional directive prompts us to explore 
equalizing access to statutory benefits, especially concerning maternity protection for 
those in the informal economy. 
The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines informal economy as 
referring to “all economic activities by workers and economic units that are – in law or 
practice – not covered or insufficiently covered by formal arrangements”.1 According to 
the 2019 Labor Force Survey, around 12.7 million individuals were engaged in informal 
sector employment in the Philippines.2 This number includes millions of Filipino women 
who are freelance workers, own-account workers, and workers in unrecognized or 
unregulated employment relationships. As such, more often than not, these women 
are not entitled to any of the benefits that may be available to employees in the formal 
sector, such as vacation or sick leaves, health insurance, and retirement benefits. 
1 International Labour Office (2002a): Effect to be given to resolutions adopted by the International Labour 
Conference at its 90th Session (2002), (b) Resolution concerning decent work and the informal economy; Governing 
Body, 285th Session, Seventh item on the agenda; Geneva, November 2002. 
2 Philippine Statistics Authority, Labor Force Survey (2019) 
5:59 pm
July 23, 2025
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Women freelancers, in particular, face compounded vulnerabilities as they do 
not have access to the most fundamental protection—maternity benefits. Republic Act 
No. 11210, or the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law, is a stride towards the right 
direction, ensuring maternity leave for mothers in the formal sector. While the law 
explicitly contemplates workers in the informal sector,3 eligibility is limited to those who 
are Social Security System (SSS) members and contributors, thereby excluding a 
considerable number of Filipino women workers who are not enrolled in the insurance 
program. Meanwhile, the benefits for female workers who are neither voluntary nor 
regular members of the SSS are only governed by circulars of the Philippine Health 
Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth),4 which do not include the grant of leave benefits 
or its monetary equivalent. This measure aims to address that gap by providing a one-
time cash assistance per delivery equivalent to the prevailing minimum wage rate in 
their region of residence multiplied by twenty-two (22) days. 
More than alleviating the hardships and worries of working mothers-to-be, the 
provision of maternity protection has been linked to a number of positive outcomes for 
the mother, for her child, for the economy, and for communities and society at large. 
Access to the benefit increases female participation in productivity, promoting 
workforce equality and ultimately, economic growth. 
Finally, this measure aligns with the Philippines’ international commitments 
under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) 
and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 
(CEDAW). These human rights treaties provide justification for expanding maternity 
protection for all Filipino mothers, irrespective of their employment status. 
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
      BRIAN RAYMUND S. YAMSUAN 
  Representative 
2nd District of Parañaque
3 Republic Act 11210, Section 10 provides: 
Section 10. Maternity Leave Benefits for Women in the Informal Economy and Voluntary Contributors to the 
SSS. — Maternity benefits shall cover all married and unmarried women, including female workers in the 
informal economy. 
Female workers in the informal economy are entitled to maternity leave benefits if they have remitted to the SSS 
at least three (3) monthly contributions in the twelve (12)-month period immediately preceding the semester of 
her childbirth, miscarriage, or emergency termination of pregnancy. 
4 Republic Act 11210, Section 11 provides: 
Section 11. Maternity Benefits for Female Workers Who are Non-Members of the SSS.— Female workers who 
are neither voluntary nor regular members of the SSS shall be governed by the Philippine Health Insurance 
Corporation (PhilHealth) Circular No. 022-2014 or the "Social Health Insurance Coverage and Benefits for 
Women About to Give Birth". 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. BRIAN RAYMUND S. YAMSUAN 
AN ACT 
GRANTING MATERNITY BENEFITS TO WOMEN WORKERS IN THE INFORMAL 
ECONOMY, AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO 11210, 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION. 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Equal Maternity Protection 
Act of 2025.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is the declared policy of the State to protect 
the rights and welfare of women workers in the informal economy, to ensure optimal 
maternal health consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals, and to encourage 
and support the practice of breastfeeding in furtherance of its obligation to ensure the 
survival and development of Filipino children. 
SECTION 3. Coverage. – This Act shall apply to all workers and economic units, 
including enterprises, entrepreneurs, and households in the informal economy, in 
particular: 
a) Those in the informal economy who own and operate economic units, including
freelance workers, self-employed workers, own-account workers, employers,
members of cooperatives, and members of other social and solidarity economy
units;
b) Home-based workers or contributing family workers, irrespective of whether
they work in economic units in the formal or informal economy;
c) Employees holding informal jobs in or for formal enterprises, or for economic
units in the informal economy, including those in contract arrangement and/or
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in supply chains, or as paid domestic workers employed by households; 
d) Workers in unrecognized or unregulated employment relationships; 
e) Agricultural workers or fisherfolk in unrecognized or unregulated agricultural or 
farming endeavors and fishing activities; and 
f) Non-regular domestic workers. 
 
SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. — Whenever used in this Act, the following terms 
shall have the respective meanings hereafter set forth: 
 
a) “Informal Economy” refers to all economic activities by workers and economic 
units that are, in law or in practice, not covered or insufficiently covered by laws 
or formal arrangements. 
b) “Freelance worker” refers to any natural person or entity composed of no more 
than one (1) natural person, whether incorporated under the Securities and 
Exchange Commission, registered as a sole proprietorship under the 
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), or registered as self-employed with the 
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), who is hired or retained to provide services, 
in exchange for compensation, as an independent contractor to do work 
according to one’s own methods and without being subjected to the control of 
the hiring party, except only as to the results of the work; 
c) “Economic Units in the Informal Economy” refer to units that are owned by 
individuals working on their own account either alone or with the help or 
contributing family workers; household enterprises engaged in the production 
of goods and services or unincorporated enterprises owned by households; 
cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy units. 
d) “Own-account worker” refers to workers who, working on their own account or 
with one or more partners, hold the type of job defined as a self-employed job, 
and have not engaged on a continuous basis any employees to work for them 
during the reference period. 
 
SECTION 5. Maternity Benefit for Women Workers in the Informal Economy. — 
Section 11 of Republic Act No. 11210 is hereby amended as follows: 
 
Section 11. Maternity Benefits For Female Workers Who are Non-
Members of the SSS — Female workers who are neither voluntary 
nor regular members of the SSS shall be governed by the Philippine 
Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Circular No. 022-2014 or 
the “Social Health Insurance Coverage and Benefits for Women 
About to Give Birth” AND ITS SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS.  
 
IN ADDITION, FEMALE WORKERS WHO ARE NEITHER 
VOLUNTARY NOR REGULAR MEMBERS OF THE SSS SHALL 
RECEIVE, 
THROUGH 
THE 
DEPARTMENT 
OF 
SOCIAL 
WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT (DSWD), A ONE-TIME DIRECT 


 
MATERNITY CASH BENEFIT PER DELIVERY EQUIVALENT TO 
THE PREVAILING MINIMUM WAGE RATE IN THEIR REGION OF 
RESIDENCE MULTIPLIED BY TWENTY-TWO (22) DAYS. 
 
SECTION 6. Application. – The Department of Social Welfare and Development shall 
determine the requirements and eligibility of beneficiaries. Applicants under this Act 
shall prepare all the requirements as determined by the relevant office or division 
designated by the DSWD and to be submitted to the office authorized by the same. 
 
SECTION 7. Appropriations. — The amounts necessary to fund this maternity benefit 
shall be taken from revenues from excise taxes on sweetened beverages, alcohol, 
tobacco products, heated tobacco products, and vapor products, and may be 
augmented under the General Appropriations Act. 
 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act be declared 
unconstitutional, the remaining parts not affected thereby shall remain valid and 
operational. 
 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, orders, circulars, issuances, 
rules and regulations and parts thereof which are inconsistent with this act are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 10. Effectivity. — This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general circulation 
in the Philippines. 
 
 
Approved,