FIRST DISTRICT, Pampanga – Employees in the public and private sector directly affected by calamities may soon be able to avail of five days emergency leave to recover from injury, illness, displacement, property damage, transportation disruption, and other consequences of such events if House Bill No. 10852, filed by Congressman Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. on August 20, 2026, is approved.
To be known as the “Emergency Leave for Employees Affected by Calamities Act,” HB 10852 provides for the institutionalization of a minimum of five paid working days of emergency leave per calendar year for qualified employees directly affected by calamities, without prejudice to more favorable benefits granted under existing laws, rules, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, employment contracts, company policies, or established company practices.
Said leave may be availed of for five consecutive working days or on a staggered basis within thirty (30) calendar days from the occurrence of the calamity or from the date the employee was directly affected, whichever is later, and shall be available only to the extent of the employee’s unused emergency-leave entitlement for the calendar year.
‘Directly-affected employee’ shall refer to those whose place of residence, workplace, route to or from work, health, immediate family, or primary household facilities has been directly affected by a calamity.
“Although Filipinos have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of calamities and natural disasters, workers who are directly affected by calamities should be afforded sufficient time to attend to their safety, recover from damages and losses, and address urgent personal and family concerns without the added burden of reporting for work,” Lazatin said.
Employees may avail of the emergency leave if they are stranded in an affected area or cannot safely travel to or from work because transportation is unavailable, roads are closed, or infrastructure has been damaged; have sustained an injury, illness, or medical emergency caused by the calamity; must provide essential care or assistance to an immediate family member directly affected by the calamity; and/or must undertake urgent repair, cleaning, or restoration of the employee’s primary residence or household facilities damaged by the calamity.
The head of office or employer shall be responsible for determining the employee’s eligibility and approving the emergency leave upon verification that the employee was directly affected by the calamity; however, the absence of a document that could not reasonably be obtained during the calamity shall not by itself justify denial of the leave and the employee may submit the required proof within a reasonable period after returning to work.
On August 13, Lazatin also filed HB 10771, to be known as the “Menstrual Leave Act,” which states that female employees in the public and private sectors shall be entitled to a maximum of three days of menstrual leave with pay every month to allow them to recover from the discomforts of health conditions associated with menstruation.
“Women contribute significantly to the growth of the Philippine economy, especially those who are part of the labor force; however, they may experience health-related setbacks, including menstrual pain and other menstrual-related medical conditions, which may affect their ability to perform their work,” Lazatin said.
