Can I avail of Paternity Leave even if I am not married to my partner who is giving birth to our child soon?

NO. You can not avail of Paternity Leave because you are not married to the mother of your child.

The Paternity Leave Act of 1996 (RA 8187) specifically states "MARRIED MALE EMPLOYEES."

This is the heading of the Paternity Leave Act:

REPUBLIC ACT 8187

AN ACT GRANTING PATERNITY LEAVE OF SEVEN (7) DAYS WITH FULL PAY TO ALL MARRIED MALE EMPLOYEES IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS FOR THE FIRST FOUR (4) DELIVERIES OF THE LEGITIMATE SPOUSE WITH WHOM HE IS COHABITING AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

To avail of the paid seven-day paternity leave, the male employee should:
  • be legally married to his wife (the woman who has given birth to their child or has miscarried).
  • be living together with his wife at the time of his child's birth or miscarriage.
  • be an employee at the time of his child's birth or miscarriage.
  • have applied for paternity leave with his employer for a reasonable period of time prior to his child's delivery In case of miscarriage, prior leave application is not required.

There's hope for another paternity leave! 
Optional paternity leave is included in the Expanded Maternity Leave bill passed by the Senate in 2017.

But as of today, June 1, 2017, this Senate bill is still waiting for the House to create and complete its counterpart bill so that the Senate and House can agree on the final consolidated bill that they can submit to the Philippine President for approval.

Here below is the Paternity Leave Proposal included in the Senate Bill No. 1305, called Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2017:

SEC. 6. Allocation of Maternity Leave Credits. - Any female worker entitled to maternity leave benefits as provided for herein may, at her option, allocate up to thirty (30) days of said benefits to the child’s father, whether or not the same is married to the female worker: Provided, That, in the death, absence or incapacity of the former, the benefit may be allocated to an alternative caregiver who may be a relative within the fourth degree of consanguinity or the current partner of the female worker sharing the same household, upon the election of the mother taking into account the best interests of the child: Provided, further, That, written notice thereof is provided to the employers of the female worker and alternate caregiver: Provided, finally. That, this benefit is over and above that which is provided under Republic Act No. 8187, or the Paternity Leave Act of 1996.

Sources:
  • Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Paternity Leave Act of 1996 - Republic Act No. 8187. http://www.chanrobles.com/legal4paternity.htm#.WNjfQ9J97cs
  • Department of Labor and Employment. Recognize paternity leave of male married workers, Baldoz reminds employers. November 4, 2015. https://www.dole.gov.ph/news/view/2965
  • International Labour Organization. Republic Act No. 8187. http://www.ilo.org/dyn/travail/docs/1206/Republic%20Act%20No%208187%20-%20Paternity%20Leave%20Act%20of%201996.pdf
  • Senate of the Philippines, 17th Congress. Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2017. http://www.senate.gov.ph/lis/bill_res.aspx?congress=17&q=SBN-1305

31 Comments

Unknown said…
Hindi pa pala na approve yung batas na pinasa ni Sen. Hontiveros regarding those unmarried couples/father filing for paternal leave? nakaka dismaya po naman. so sad, such a descrimination. :(
Nora said…
Yes, you're right. Hindi pa na-approve yong Expanded Maternity Leave Law na kung saan meron ditong proposed paternity leave na up to 30 days that can be allotted by the female partner (deduction sa 120-days leave ng female partner). The Senate has passed it, but it has not yet been passed by the House, and not yet signed by the President.
Yong paternity leave na ito will be in addition to the leave mandated by Paternity Leave Act of 1996.
Unknown said…
hi po 4months na pong buntis young asawa ko 1year na po syang d naka remit sa sss..makaka avail parin ba sya ng maternity leave if ever mag apply sya..? thanks po for answering
Nora said…
SSS Maternity Leave: Kung Oct manganganak ang wife mo, meron dapat siyang nabayaran na at least 3 months within Oct 2016 to Sep 2017. Mas maganda kung merong 6 months. Puede pa siyang magbayad ng April May June (dapat the whole quarter) this June. Mag-file ng notification ASAP.
Enroll in SSS online service
Unknown said…
Approved na po ba ang expanded maternity leave law? Thanks
Unknown said…
So hnd pa po pla na approved ung paternity leave for unnarried male?
Unknown said…
Hi. May sample case po ba tau or clear reference on paternity leave for muslim husbands?
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said…
Ang misis ko mga almost 3yrs n d nkahulog sa ss simula po nang natigil siyang magtrabho tpos nabuntis at nanganak pwd po b siyang mgclaim sa sss
Unknown said…
Hi, just wanna ask kung qualified ako sa SSS maternity benefit, naemployed ako Last May 2017 then ang expected due date ko is April, 2018. makakakuha po ba ako ng sss maternity benefit? hindi po kasi ma explain saakin mabuti ng sss ung tanong ko about jan. Salamat po!
Nora said…
Hi Haydee: Tuluy-tuloy ba ang work mo this 2017? Merong ka na bang 3 SSS contributions? If meron nang 3, yes, qualified ka for SSS maternity benefit. 3 lang ang minimum requirement, pero SSS will consider your 6 highest contributions within this year 2017 to compute your benefit.
Nora said…
File your notification asap, through your employer. puedeng online or puedeng via paper form.
Unknown said…
hi maam Nora, yes po tuloy tuloy po ang work ko hanggang sa makpag file ako ng leave by next year kasi regular naman po ako. bali nung naemployed po ako ng May, 2017 hinulugan na ni Employer yung SSS ko.
Unknown said…
nakapag file na din po si employer ng maternity notif ko thru online, mag increase din po ang salary ko kya magtataas ang contributions ko. mas malaki po kaya makuha ko?
Unknown said…
Hi tanong ko lang po nag punta kase ako sa may sss dito sa dasma nagtanong po ako kung pde ako sa maternity benefits kase may work naman po ako hanggang dec. Ang kaso po sabi saken di daw po ako qualified kase daw sept &nov lang daw po may hulog sakin . may isang agwat po ung october di daw nahulugan . e january po ung due date ko . baka po na hulugan ko ulit .
Unknown said…
Hi poh, Good Day! Magtatanong poh sana ako, naka bayad po ako nang sss ko 23 months, then naka file na poh ako nang maternity sa first baby ko, then after that wala nang nahulogan ang sss ko, pero 7months employed na po ako, then manganganak na naman ako this coming march pwede poh ba akong maka file ngayon nang maternity? then makakabayad pa bah ako? kasi na check ko online wala kasing nahulogan. thank you.
Nora said…
Hi Jerrymae: Sa payslip mo ba ay merong SSS deductions? Kung meron, ask your HR bakit walang nakapost sa records mo sa SSS? Irequest mo na iremit na nila kasi magfa-file ka ng maternity claim. Para qualified ka, dapat meron kang at least 3 contributions within Oct 2016 to Sep 2017. Hindi mo na puedeng bayaran yang months na yan kasi late na for individual payors. Ang mga companies ay puede pa, magbayad lang sila ng penalties.
Nora said…
Hi Jessamarie: Kung Jan 2018 ang due mo, dapat meron kang at least 3 contributions within Oct 2016 to Sep 2017 para ma-qualify ka. Irequest mo sa employer mo na iremit nila yong mga contributions mo sa SSS sa lahat ng months na employed ka in 2016 and 2017.
Anonymous said…
I have somewhat like the same issue. There are 5 months gap in the contributions; specifically, from April-August 2016. I left the agency for 13 months already yet their contributions are not yet updated. Promise lang sila nang promise na iupdate. Hindi din sila nag send ng payslips during those months although may proofs ako sa email na nagrerequest sa kanila. What to do po? reklamo na? and saang authority? I'm planning to file for a salary loan after I'll give birth this March pero kulang ng 5 mos kaya di pako umabot sa 36 contributions.
Anonymous said…
According to my researches po, basta ang nahulugan mong months ay pasok sa 18 months before delivery date mo or yong 12 months prior sa semester (6mos) ng delivery date mo, yong 6 na contributions na pinaka mataas, yon yong basehan pra mag compute ng benefits mo. Anyways po, kung punta ka sa sss, automated na sa computer nila magkano makukuha mo.
Unknown said…
what if poh babayaran ko nang isang taon lahat nang 2017 ko from january to december 2017, then babayaran ko rin yong January to march contributions ko, pwede pa po ba bayaran? then makaka process po ba ako nang maternity ko? salamat, kasi hindi raw nila nabayaran ang sss ko dahil di pa raw ako regular employee nila. advice po please. thanks.
Anonymous said…
Accdg sa SSS employee na natanong ko, hindi na ma cover ang gaps before na gusto nating mabayaran kng wla talagang contribution unless na kasalanan ng employer. Kung kelan ka nag bayad, on that month sya ma rerecord. Bali continuous sya.
ben said…
leave in lng po kami ng gf ko magkakaanak kami pwedi ba ako mag file ng paternity leave kahit di kasal
Anonymous said…
Hindi ba pwede mag avail ng paternity leave kahit hindi kasal?? pero nag sasama nmn kame.

salamat
Unknown said…
Hi, God afternoon. Nakaka dismaya po sa part naming mga tatay na member o monthly nagbabayad ng SSS pero di qualified to avail our rights as a father to our child because of unmarried reason. As a payer, Sana naman po ay mabigyan kami karagdagang pagpapahalaga patungkol sa sitwasyong ito. Sana po ang SSS na mismo ang gumawa ng memorandum para sa ganitong sitwasyon. Di naman kasi po pwedi na pag pumasok ka sa isang trabaho o establishment na di na kaylangan ng SSS kaya lang kasi kelangan ito. Sino ba nman kasi ang gustong kaltasan ang sahod dba? pero still nagbabayad parin kami dahil sa kagustuhang magkaroon din kami ng benefits at pati na mga mahal nmin sa buhay.
Gladys Cabalan said…
Hi po. Nakunan po ako ng feb 2018 at nakakuha po ako ng 32k then after 3 months nbuntis ulit ako at manganganak po ako sa feb 2019. Tuloy2 naman po ang pasok ko. Same ng dati. Nakaleave lang ako ng 2 months nung nakunan ako. Maliit nalang b mkukuha ko? Or same pdin. Thank you
Unknown said…
Hi ask ko lang sana kung gagamit po ng maternity leave ang asawa ko pwede po ba un kahit hindi kami kasal pero sa kanya apilyedo ang gagamitin
Nora said…
Sorry hindi. Dapat kasal kayo para maka-avail ng paternity leave. Hahanapan ang asawa mo ng marriage certificate
Nora said…
Hi Ihlona, basta 1,760 pa rin ang monthly contribution mo sa SSS (from employee and from employer), at tuluy-tuloy naman ang pasok mo, makakakuha ka pa rin ng 32k.
Unknown said…
Ma'am tanong ko lang po kung pwde po ba makapagfile ng paternity sss loan kahit di pa kasal?
Thank you po
Nora said…
Hello, sorry wala akong alam na paternity SSS loan. Ang meron ay yong SSS maternity benefit na puede mong i-claim kung meron kang at least 3 SSS monthly contributions posted within the past 12 months prior to your semester of child delivery. Ito ay puedeng i-claim kahit single or kahit hindi kasal.
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