As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the country and adversely affect the livelihood of the people, the San Juan City local government distributed food boxes and other pandemic supplies from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to the city's solo parents.
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said that around 900 solo parents from different barangays in the city have received DSWD food boxes, face masks, and face shields from the local government.
"Alam natin na malaki ang dinadalang responsibilidad ng ating mga solo parents para itaguyod mag-isa ang kanilang mga anak. Kaya namin hindi natin nakakalilmutang kalingain sila sa abot ng ating makakaya (We all know how big the responsibility our solo parents have in raising their child/children by themselves, that's why we shouldn't forget to help them as much as we can especially during this pandemic)," Zamora said.
Zamora also urged the city's solo parents to register with the City Social Welfare and Development Department as well as the solo parents association in their barangays for them to be included in the LGU's next programs
Last March 25, Zamora bared the city's plans to establish the San Juan Solo Parents Office in an effort to support the needs of solo parents living and working in the city.
The mayor said the the first step for this initiative is to support the interim heads of the association and to properly set up the San Juan Solo Parents Office at the city hall.
“Kailangan nila ito sa pamamahala ng mga programa at proyektong makakatulong sa mga solo parents ng San Juan at sa kanilang mga anak (The office is needed for the management of programs and projects that can help solo parents in San Juan and their children),” Zamora said.
“Sa kasalukuyan po ay mayroon ng mahigit isang libong miyembro ang kanilang organisasyon na agad naman po nating tinulungan sa pamamagitan ng handog na mga ayudang food packs (At present, there are over 1,000 members of their organization that we immediately helped by providing them with food packs).” he added.