Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III has filed a bill seeking to institutionalize special privileges for pregnant women, including discounts on medical services and additional leave benefits, in a bid to ease the financial burden of pregnancy for Filipino families.

Under Senate Bill (SB) 1443, or the proposed “Act Institutionalizing the Special Privileges to All Women During the Period of Pregnancy,” expectant mothers would be entitled to a 20 percent discount on pregnancy-related medical services, such as prenatal check-ups, diagnostic procedures, medicines, and supplements.

Sotto said the measure aims to help women cope with the rising cost of maternal healthcare and ensure better protection for both mothers and their unborn children from conception until birth.

“The proposed measure will help alleviate the financial burdens of pregnancy,” Sotto said in the bill’s explanatory note.

If enacted, the privilege would cover women throughout pregnancy, during delivery, and up to 60 days after childbirth.

The bill also introduces a 10-day paid Special Medical Leave for pregnant employees who are required to undergo bed rest, provided the condition is certified by a licensed obstetrician-gynecologist.

Several government agencies would oversee the implementation of the proposed benefits.

The Department of Health and the Philippine Commission on Women would monitor compliance among hospitals, diagnostic centers, and healthcare providers.

Meanwhile, the Department of Trade and Industry would supervise pharmacies both inside and outside hospitals, while the Professional Regulation Commission would oversee compliance among medical professionals.

Sotto noted that although pregnant women may receive assistance through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, the current benefits may not be sufficient to cover the full range of pregnancy-related medical needs.

He added that the limited financial support available could be one of the reasons some Filipinas hesitate to have children.

The measure, he said, reinforces the government’s commitment to protect women’s health and support mothers and their children from the earliest stages of pregnancy.