COTABATO CITY — Member of the Parliament Romeo Sema is pushing for the passage of a measure that would grant a five-day bereavement leave with half pay to a BARMM employee or worker following the loss of an immediate family member.

BTA Parliament Bill No. 270, or the Bangsamoro Bereavement Leave Act, seeks to extend this privilege to all employees, whether regular, casual, or contractual, in both public and private institutions in the region. The leave would apply to the loss of immediate family members, such as biological or adopted parents, children, and siblings.

MP Sema explained the rationale for the proposed legislation, stating that bereavement leave is often overlooked and unrecognized by employers in both the public and private sectors.

“This bill seeks to put value into the beliefs, customs, and practices of the Bangsamoro people by allowing them to grieve for their loved ones and to be present during the performance of customary services,” he said.

The bill will address a gap in labor laws by addressing the lack of recognition for employee grief as well as the need to preserve cultural norms, particularly in the context of the Bangsamoro people, where customary services are important.

Under the provisions of the bill, employees can avail themselves of bereavement leave within two days of the death of an immediate family member, and failure to do so within the specified period will be considered a waiver.

In addition, any unused bereavement leave will not be considered as leave credits or converted into monetary value.

MP Sema further pointed out the current predicament faced by employees who are compelled to exhaust their annual leave entitlement to attend to their grief and participate in funeral rites.

The bill will not override existing bereavement leave or similar benefits provided under a company policy, collective bargaining agreement, law, or any similar document that offers greater or more beneficial benefits to the employee.

“More than the fair consideration that is afforded by this proposal to the labor, this seeks to put value into the beliefs, customs, and practices of the Bangsamoro people,” he added. (LTAIS- Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)