THE RIGHT MOVE
Gone are the days when there was a stigma on solo parents, at least in the Philippines, compared to our Asian neighbors. According to a 2021 report from the Department of Health, there are about 14 to 15 million solo parents in the country. While the older Filipino generations of solo parents may not have volunteered the information for statistics, nearly all solo parents now register their names in the data bank of the government.
Why? Over the years, the solo parents sector has garnered an incredible amount of support as seen in Republic Act (RA) 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act. This is an amendment of the several provisions of RA 8972 or The Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000 which aimed to “promote the family as the foundation of the nation, strengthen its solidarity and ensure its total development.”
The new law expands the definition of “solo parent” to include the spouse or family member of a low/semi-skilled Filipino Foreign Worker (OFW) who has been away from the Philippines for 12 consecutive years. The law also expanded solo parents to include grandparents and family members or eligible guardians who are solely responsible for their children.
RA 11861 directs the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to work with other agencies to develop a "comprehensive package" of social protection services for single parents and their families including livelihood opportunities, legal assistance, parent effectiveness and stress debriefing regardless of one’s financial situation.
While the DSWD’s duties have likewise expanded with the new responsibilities from the Solo Parents revised law, the department has been stepping up and has actually been one of the most active departments under the BBM administration so far.
In fact, going an extra mile to ensure the welfare of solo parents, the DSWD recently forged a new partnership with the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to expand their existing Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the provision of legal assistance to its qualified clients.
With the influx of requests in DSWD for assistance from lone-parents in relation to lack of financial and child support from their partners, DSWD Secretary Erwin T. Tulfo and Chief Public Attorney Persida Rueda-Acosta signed the supplemental MOA to enforce the provision of free legal services to single parents and their children seeking financial support from the liable parents.
PAO is set to establish a public attorney’s office in DSWD that will provide free legal services and representation to qualified and complainants seeking for child support.
Atty. Acosta said, “The supplemental MOA will strengthen our services to DSWD clients, specifically need assistance regarding their difficulties on having spouses, or partners, or with dating relationships commit to their responsibilities in providing financial support to respective children.”
The original MOA signed between DSWD and PAO with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines held a provision for legal assistance and other legal services to qualified beneficiaries, particularly victims of Violence Against Women and Children, Children in Conflict with the Law, but nowadays, the most common complaints has been financial neglect. Through the supplemental MOA, the DSWD hopes to provide additional protection to solo parents and their children.
Other benefits solo parents may not be aware of that they have are the following:
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A cash allowance of ₱1,000 per month for each single parent earning below the minimum wage allotted by the applicable city or county government.
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Ten percent rebate and exemption from VAT on infant formula, food, micronutrient supplements and sanitary napkins for solo parents whose annual incomes are less than ₱250,000.
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Seven days of paid parental leave regardless of their employment status.
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Scholarship programs and full school scholarships for solo parent children in primary, tertiary, and technical colleges.
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Premiums under the National Health Insurance Program administered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
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Right of a solo parent to receive benefits until their child is 22 years old
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Priority in the selection of new Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, as long as they’re earning below or within minimum wage.
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Livelihood assistance through the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program.
While being both mother and father can be doubly strenuous emotionally, physically, and psychologically, the future doesn’t seem as bleak anymore for the 14 million solo parents in the Philippines with practical solutions and relevant laws that are finally available to them.