ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (Screenshot from YouTube live)




A House inquiry into the status of the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No.11861, also known as the “Expanded Solo Parents Act", is in order. ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo made this call Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 1, during his first ever privilege speech in the House of Representatives. “It has come to my attention that the implementation of the Expanded Solo Parent Act under Republic Act 11861 should be and must be revisited due to non-compliance of several of its provisions, ironically by several local government units (LGUs) and business establishments,” Tulfo said. "This beautiful law was crafted to help solo parents from the burden of raising their children by themselves. However, what good will it be if our solo parents do not fully benefit from this that was intended solely to help them raise their children?” asked the neophyte congressman. Right after the speech, Tulfo's office bared that they filed House Resolution (HR) No. 1150 urging the appropriate committee to carry out the investigation. Under the Expanded Solo Parents Act, additional benefits must be given to solo parents such as P1,000 per month, 10 percent discount and exemption from the value￾added tax on the specified item, automatic coverage under the National Health Insurance Program, prioritization in re entering the workforce and prioritization and allocation in housing projects, subject to meeting the necessary requirements to avail of the said benefits. But despite the good intention of the law, Tulfo has received numerous reports that some of the provision of the law was not implemented due to lack of funding particularly in some poor municipalities, “Kaya tinatawagan ko ang aking mga kasamahan na muling silipin ang batas na ito, partikular ang hindi pagbibigay ng P1,000 allowance kada buwan ng maraming LGUs sa mga kwalipikadong solo parents,” said the former Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary. (That's why I call on my colleagues to review this law, particularly the non-release of the P1,000 monthly allowance by numerous LGUs to qualified solo parents.) The party-list solon also calls on the attention of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to make sure that discounts for solo parents must be  given by business establishments nationwide. “And I call upon the private corporations and government institutions to hire solo parents not only because it is stated in the law, but as Filipinos helping a solo parent unload the heavy burden of raising a child or children singlehandedly,” said Tulfo, who took his House seat only last July 24.