MANILA, Philippines -- A bill extending the maternity leave benefits for women from the current 60 days to 120 days was filed Tuesday at the House of Representatives.

House Bill 3973 known as ?An act increasing maternity leave benefits from 60 days to 120 days or four months? was initiated by Gabriela Women?s Partylist Representatives Liza Maza and Luzviminda Ilagan.

?Extending the period for maternity leave will not only give mothers the opportunity to fully recover, it will also give them the chance to breastfeed infants during the first four months,? Ilagan said in a statement.

The proposed legislation, the lawmaker said, would also help address the maternal and infant mortality rates in the country.

In their explanatory note of the bill, the authors cited studies by the Health Alliance for Democracy, which showed that 10 mothers died daily due to pregnancy and childbirth.

?Infant mortality was recorded at 25 per 1,000 live births in 2005 while maternal mortality was 162 per 100,000 live births in 2006,? they said.

?The Philippines ranks 84th out of 179 countries with available data of infant mortality rate,? they further said.

Ilagan said the Philippines, along with Malaysia, also ranked lowest in Southeast Asia in providing for maternity health care in terms of the length of period of maternity leave benefits.

?Vietnam allows 120-180 days while Thailan, Cambodia, Indonesia and Laos allow 90 days,? she said.