THE ZOOM recording is put on pause. “Wait. Sandali lang. My children are playing with a hose. I just have to shush them.”

This is the reality for English Professor Frances Perez and other working mothers in the University who must balance their work and parental responsibilities. Unlike their nine-to-five jobs, being a mother requires 24/7 supervision.

For Perez and Chantal Corpuz, a psychologist working at the Loyola Schools Office of Guidance and Counseling, the Ateneo has played a significant role in their journey throughout motherhood.

Although a trove of employee benefits exist, some working mothers still attest that they struggle to take care of their children while making sure that they are able to fulfill the demands of their professional responsibilities.

Going on leave

The University provides its female employees with maternity benefits such as a milk subsidy, and an option for an extended insurance coverage for their children.

However, its support to date is best exemplified by the Ateneo maternity leave policy, which grants a 105-day leave to its female employees to ensure their physical well-being and welfare postpartum. Regarding other employee benefits, the University grants its regular employees with 15 paid work days for a sick leave, and another 15 paid work days for a vacation leave.

With clear-cut instructions provided in the University’s Office Of Human Resource Management And Organization Development (OHRMOD) Policies And Procedures Manual, both Corpuz and Perez found the process of filing for maternity leave a breeze.

They simply had to submit some documents such as the Leave Application Form and the Absence Report Form, as well as declare the starting date of their leave, to OHRMOD. However, having to undergo the same process online due to the pandemic, Corpuz found it somewhat difficult to communicate with HR as it was only through email exchange.

With no updated official document released since 2004, she strongly suggests having a more detailed memo explaining the maternity policies and an annual orientation for new mothers or female employees who plan to have a child. For Corpuz, this orientation would hopefully ensure that everyone thoroughly understands the process, the scope of their health insurance coverage, and other maternity benefits.

On the other hand, the Ateneo now follows the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law—or Republic Act 11210—which extends the benefits to every instance of pregnancy, miscarriage, or emergency termination, regardless of frequency. This is in contrast to RA 8282 or the Social Security Act of 1997, which only covered the first four deliveries or miscarriages.

Perez, who already took two maternity leaves before RA 11210 was passed, said that the extended leave would be helpful to other female workers given the difficulties of giving birth. From her experience, she felt like she had to make do with the seemingly insufficient 60-day maternity leave which she spent finding a household helper before going back to work.

Beyond childbirth

Working parents like Perez who had to bring their children to school, on the other hand, found the Loyola Schools (LS) Childcare Place—located on the 2nd floor of the Social Sciences Building—to be of great help. Managed by two childhood educators and a pediatric nurse, the free-of-charge daycare was open daily from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM for LS employees children aged 0-10.

Prior to its establishment, Perez explained that some employees had to sport babywear to carry their infants to work while some had to conduct in-person work-related consultations with their children in tow.

However, the Childcare Place ceased its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to return despite the University’s increased onsite operations, as of the time of writing.

Since the closure of the LS Childcare Place, Corpuz found it challenging to find someone to take care of her son while she and her husband were working at the University. “It is a day-to-day concern. Okay today, he is with the in-laws, but tomorrow kanino siya? The next day, kanino siya?” she shares.

The difficulties do not end there. Both Corpuz and Perez agree that there is much societal pressure and expectations on working mothers to shoulder all domestic work on top of all their work responsibilities. “In our society, parang by default, it’s the mom who has to think about these things. […] If hindi naalagaan nang maayos ‘yung child, anong klaseng ina [siya]? Hindi mo naman sasabihin ‘Uy, anong klaseng ama ka?’” Corpuz adds.

(In our society, it’s like by default, it’s the mom who has to think about these things. […] If the child isn’t well taken care of, [society asks], ‘What kind of mother is she?’ Society doesn’t ask, ‘What kind of a father is he?’)

Given all these concerns, maintaining a work-life balance is often easier said than done.

For Corpuz, this sense of harmony is achieved when she is able to fulfill all her obligations to her family, her career, and herself.

Perez also thinks she is able to strike a balance when she simultaneously meets her responsibilities as a professional, mother, wife, and friend.

Indeed, Perez regards motherhood as an important part of her identity. However, she also thinks that there is so much more than just that. “I feel like I’m not just a mother. I’m my own person and it’s not just my children who define me,” she says.

Treading the fine line

Corpuz finds that the Ateneo treats its female employees “really well,” especially those who are mothers to infants and young children. She is hopeful to see the LS Childcare Place open again, especially if employees would return to their original setup next year: reporting for work every Monday to Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM.

If the reopening of the LS Childcare Place would not be feasible, Corpuz believes that extending the work-from-home setup would “definitely help moms like [her] go day by day.” Working remotely would allow them to look after their children personally while still performing their professional responsibilities well—a sentiment that is shared by numerous working mothers worldwide.

Corpuz also suggests that the Ateneo organize support groups for working mothers in the University. This would allow them to exchange ideas with one another which would prove to be important, especially for first-time mothers like her.

In terms of maternity coverage and benefits, Ateneo still provides prenatal checkups to its female employees. However, this excludes the laboratory fees and regular ultrasounds which Corpuz describes as “the bulk of the fees.” Still, she greatly appreciates the maternity benefits they are given, such as the milk subsidy and the extended insurance coverage for her one-year-old son.

It should also be noted that working mothers in the University may also have separate sources for their maternity benefits, such as from health insurance, which may complement Ateneo’s maternity package.

On the other hand, Perez says that she was happy her sons experienced the support that the Ateneo community offered to working mothers like her. She shares that the Ateneo, during pre-pandemic times, also conducted programs for the children of LS employees such as Halloween parties. Overall, she believes that the University provided her with a “progressive” and “supportive” environment that goes beyond work.

“Here, it’s really with the view of enabling women to balance at work, at home, and progress with their career in the university [because] we’re not just a company, we’re a community. In a community, we’re not just a set of employees, we’re […] human beings. It’s nice that they recognize that,” Perez says.

Being all at the same time, working mothers juggle several responsibilities as a professional, a parent, and an individual person of their own. Thus, the University must continue to provide adequate support and enforce an inclusive environment as they continue to tread the balancing act of motherhood.