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House bill encourages breastfeeding in workplace


MANILA, Philippines - More incentives are in store for employers to have breastfeeding programs for nursing mothers in the workplace, if a bill in the House of Representatives is passed into law. Tax incentives are among the features of House Bill 4894 filed by Representative Narciso Santiago III, who said breastfeeding is very beneficial to the child and to the mother. "Studies have proven that breastfed babies are healthier than those babies who are not breastfed, and less likely to become ill with gastro-intestinal infections, diarrhea, respiratory infections, ear infections and other serious diseases," Santiago said in an article on the House of Representatives website. He said many studies conducted on breastfeeding show mothers also benefit from breastfeeding as it reduces risks of breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer, osteoporosis and urinary tract infections. But Santiago said problems arise when the mother is not able to breastfeed her child because of the demands of work. He proposed a tax deductible "allowance of credit for employer expenses" for providing appropriate environment in business premises for employed mothers to breastfeed their children. Under the bill, the "breastfeeding promotion and support credit" for the taxable year is an amount equivalent to 50 percent of the qualified breastfeeding promotion and support expenditures of the taxpayer for such taxable year. Qualified breastfeeding promotion and support expenditure means any amount paid or incurred in connection with trade or business of the taxpayer for breast pumps and other equipment specially designed to assist mothers who are employees of the taxpayer to breastfeed their children. Consultation services availed of by employees of the taxpayer related to breastfeeding and the acquisition or lease of tangible personal property exclusively used by mothers to breastfeed or express milk for their children can also be charged to their credit allowance. Santiago said the credit allowable for any taxable year should not exceed the amount of P500,000.00. - GMANews.TV
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