UPDATE (April 11, 2017): The leave I'm describing in this post is called "Parental Leave". I learned the term from a research I did for a work article that compares maternity/parental benefits across Asia Pacific countries. In APAC, among the few countries that have a policy similar to what I described here, Australia's and New Zealand's are worth checking out. Australia calls it "Childcare Leave", while NZ calls it "Extended Parental Leave". Look them up!
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UPDATE (Feb. 4, 2011): A friend, who's also a dad and has experienced an ER situation with his son, suggested that maybe there should be a policy that allows SL credits to be converted to ELs (Emergency Leaves). I think that's a good idea. I hope someone can turn it into a reality.
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Early in the morning one day in late August 2009, I got a call from a dear friend, Nette, who at that time was supposed to be en route to Boracay with her family on their annual vacation. But when I heard her speak in a controlled quiver instead of cheerful excitement, I immediately felt that something was very wrong. She asked, "I need help with getting our airplane tickets cancelled or rebooked."
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Early in the morning one day in late August 2009, I got a call from a dear friend, Nette, who at that time was supposed to be en route to Boracay with her family on their annual vacation. But when I heard her speak in a controlled quiver instead of cheerful excitement, I immediately felt that something was very wrong. She asked, "I need help with getting our airplane tickets cancelled or rebooked."
"Why?" I was suddenly fully awake, preparing myself for the worst. And then it came in the next words she uttered: "We rushed Mariel to the ER last night."
