Proposal comes as the Philippines falls behind in paid leave offerings in Southeast Asia
A new bill has been filed in the Philippines seeking to increase the minimum mandated annual leave days from five to 10.
The bill, introduced by Parañaque 2nd District Rep. Brian Yamsuan, will amend the Labor Code of the Philippines to give employees the additional benefit.
Under the bill, every employee who has rendered at least one year of service shall be entitled to a yearly service incentive leave of 10 days with pay.
The expansion will not affect employees who are already entitled to 10 days of paid vacation leave, as well as those in establishments with less than 10 employees.
It will also not apply to firms that have been exempted by the Labour Secretary from granting the benefit after considering the viability or financial condition of the business.
Philippines behind in leave days
The proposed expanded benefit comes as the Philippines falls behind neighbouring nations when it comes to the number of paid annual leave days.
Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand have paid annual leave ranging from six to 10 days, while Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam have more than 10 days of paid annual leave.
"However, the Philippines lags behind other Southeast Asian countries in terms of the number of paid annual leave days," Yamsuan said in the bill's explanatory note.
Yamsuan, who is also a member of the House Committee on Labor and Employment, further pointed out that having supportive leave policies will not only benefit employees, but also employers.
"The bill recognises that increasing the number of service incentive leaves from five to 10 days will provide substantial benefits to employees' health, well-being, and overall quality of life," the lawmaker said.
"In the long term, a healthier workforce is a more productive one. With this proposed measure, we affirm our commitment to fostering humane working conditions and supporting our labour force."
