House Approves 100-Day Maternity Leave

1. House Approves 100-day Maternity Leave

ICYMI: House approves 100-day paid maternity leave https://t.co/Wn2AtZpt5D pic.twitter.com/tvSvZoa2a5

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) October 28, 2016

The House of Representatives Committee on Women and Gender Equality has endorsed for plenary approval House Bill 4113, which seeks to extend women’s maternity leave to 100 days . Currently, the maternity benefit is 60 to 78 days. The "100-day Maternity Leave Law" covers all pregnant women working in the public or private sector, regardless of civil status or whether the birth is normal delivery or C-section. It will also grant the same coverage for women who had a miscarriage or abortion after termination of pregnancy, woman who works in the informal economy, even those with pending administrative case, and non-members of the Social Security System (SSS). It also assures women that their maternity leave would not be used as a basis for a demotion or employment termination. (abs-cbn.com) 

2. Macky Mathay is gushing about Sunshine Cruz 

When the sexy actress and mom of three posted on Instagram a photo celebrating her daughter Angelina Isabele’s contract signing with Universal Records, Macky Mathay gushed in the comments section, “Proud of you @sunshinecruz718 because you brought up three girls, all beautiful, inside and out.” In another photo that Sunshine posted during the Ever Bilena Shelf Life event, he commented again, “Want to say that you are beautiful, gorgeous and pretty like everyone else. @sunshinecruz718 But even if you consider all the adjectives, I personally think none of them best describe how truly wonderful you are as a woman.” The compliments have only fueled the rumors that he’s smitten by the sexy actress though Sunshine has kept mum about their alleged relationship. (pep.ph) 

3. Karel Marquez talks about her beautiful pre-nup video

If you have not watched pre-nup video of former VJ Karel Marquez and Sean Fariñas (see it here), we highly suggest you do because not only is the cinematography visually gorgeous, it was a heartfelt telling of Karel's life. Karel said she poured her heart out to the wedding production team and was so happy with how Treehouse Story managed to beautifully stitch together the highlights of her life so far in a visual three-minute spectacle. “I saw myself in that poem…Umiyak ako kasi I saw myself in that spoken word. I was so happy.” Karel herself also writes and posts five-minute poetry on Instagram. Here is an excerpt from one of her poems: “Sa mga babaeng martyr na nagbubulag bulagan, buksan mo yang utak mo nang hindi ka mag alinlangan. Ikaw ay isang magandang nilalang, huwag ka nang lumuha diyan, sayo'y may nag aabang, siya lang, sa iyo lang.” She also has poetry for her two kids. Karel and Sean are set to marry on December 1.  (pep.ph)

4. Katrina Halili and Kris Lawrence remain civil for their daughter 
The singer is happy that he and ex Katrina Halili can now calmly talk about their daughter, Katie, as they co-parent together. In an interview with Pep.p, Kris recalls “magkakapikunan na kami” especially when they were fresh from their break-up and would need a cooling period to start talk again. “The thing na iniiwasan namin ngayon is negative energy. I just wanna be positive around Katie,” Kris said. He gets to spend time with his daughter two to three times a week but hopes to spend more time with his daughter. He would like her to spend some time in the U.S. with him “kasi iba ang buhay doon. Ang dami nyang matututunan doon. She’ll really blossom into a woman." (pep.ph) 

5. The Return of the Little Prince book is out!

Set off on a new journey as the Prince returns to Earth to find the secrets of a meaningful life. https://t.co/JJhgJPWACK #Restocked pic.twitter.com/89HtoJLyjK

— Fully Booked (@_FullyBooked) October 28, 2016

The classic must-read book The Little Prince is all grown up in the new book The Return of The Little Prince. He’s now a teenaged boy who, after setting out to explore the universe, goes back to Earth. The book is written by Alejandro Guillermo Roemmers and illustrated by Pietari Prosti, with a foreword from the nephew of the original The Little Prince’s author Antoine de Saint-Exupery. “It is a simple, poetic story in which I try to convey the experiences and knowledge I have accumulated down the years. I see life as a great opportunity in which spiritual development is all important. You want to preserve your innocence, while at the same asking yourself what to do against the great injustices, evil, betrayals, etc.” the author wrote in its website. It’s a book for all ages. The Return of the Little Prince is available at National Book Store and Fully Booked. (spot.ph)