Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera (Facebook)

Solo parents need help, and they need it now.

Thus, said Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera as he urged local government units (LGUs) to immediately issue solo parent booklets to ensure that the sector can avail themselves of legally-mandated discounts on milk, medicine, and diapers for their children below six years old.

Herrera says that the implementation of the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act has been delayed for two years, depriving solo parents of their rightful benefits.

Herrera noted that she had to push for accountability during budget hearings to ensure government agencies complied with the law.

“Pinatulog ang batas ng dalawang taon. Kaya nung budget hearing, inisa-isa ko ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno at sinabi kong huwag ibigay ang budget kung hindi nila nilalabas ang guidelines para sa solo parents,” said Herrera, known as the “Solon ng Soloista".

(The law was dormant for two years. So during the budget hearing, I went through each government agency one by one and told them not to allocate the budget unless they released the guidelines for solo parents.)

The Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) have since issued the necessary guidelines.

Despite these developments, Herrera said that many LGUs have yet to distribute solo parent IDs and booklets, which are required for solo parents to claim discounts on essential childcare products. 

She stressed that LGUs must ensure proper enforcement of the law and that businesses must comply.

“Nananawagan ako sa LGUs: ngayong may guidelines na ang DOH, dapat nang ipatupad ang batas. Kayo lang ang magpi-print ng solo parent booklets. Ang mahalaga ay ang mga commercial establishments sa inyong lugar ay nagbibigay na ng diskwento sa gatas, gamot, at diapers,” she said.

(I call on LGUs: now that the DOH has issued the guidelines, the law must be implemented. You are responsible for printing the solo parent booklets. What’s most important is ensuring that commercial establishments in your area provide discounts on milk, medicine, and diapers.)

Meanwhile, BH Party-list first nominee Robert Nazal pointed out that widespread misinformation about the law persists, with some businesses and LGUs perceiving it as an additional financial burden.

“Maraming misinformed. Ang iniisip ng iba, ‘Ito na naman, dagdag na naman sa discounts, pahirap na naman sa negosyo.’ Sa LGUs, iniisip nilang dagdag gastos na naman ito. Pero ang hindi nila nauunawaan, ang solo parent walang oras magreklamo. Wala silang katuwang sa pagpapalaki ng anak,” Nazal said.

(Many people are misinformed. Some think, "Here we go again, more discounts—another burden for businesses." LGUs, on the other hand, see it as additional expenses. But what they fail to understand is that solo parents don’t have the time to complain. They have no partner to help raise their child.)

Herrera emphasized that solo parents bear the responsibilities of both mother and father while working to provide for their families.

“Huwag niyo pong tingnan na burden ang solo parents, na ayuda na naman ito, P1,000 per month na naman, booklet na naman, ID na naman. Hindi po. Kung may pinakamahirap na kalagayan sa ating bansa, ito po ang solo parents. Sila ang ama, sila ang ina, wala silang katuwang, wala silang mapag-iwanan ng anak nila,” she said.

(Do not view solo parents as a burden, as if this is just another form of aid—another P1,000 per month, another booklet, another ID. No. If there’s any group in the country facing the toughest circumstances, it’s solo parents. They are both mother and father; they have no partner, no one to leave their child with.)