Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal is following in the footsteps of his predecessor, former congressman Bernadette Herrera when it comes to looking after the welfare of solo parents.
This, as Nazal filed a measure in the 20th Congress that seeks to institutionalize the Financial Assistance for Solo Parents Program (FASPP) under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The measue, House Bill (HB) No. 240, intends to go beyond existing benefits under the existing Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act (Republic Act No. 11861) by providing direct cash, food, medical, educational and livelihood assistance to eligible solo parents nationwide.
“Solo parents carry the heavy burden of raising their children alone, often with little to no help. This bill is our commitment to lighten that burden with concrete, consistent, and timely support,” Nazal said.
“We are not just promising help, we are institutionalizing it so no solo parent will be left to struggle in silence,” he added.
Under the bill, qualified solo parents earning not more than P14,000 a month may receive cash assistance ranging from P5,000 to P15,000 outright, or through DSWD-issued Guarantee Letters for larger amounts.
The measure covers food aid for children’s nutrition; medical assistance for hospitalization, medicines and treatments; educational support for tuition and school needs; livelihood aid for small businesses; and cash relief for inflation-related expenses such as rent and utilities.
Rice assistance will also be provided through local government units, equivalent to half the cost of 25 kilograms of rice per qualified solo parent. The DSWD will enter into formal agreements with LGUs to ensure proper fund transfer and liquidation.
Nazal stressed that the bill responds to a growing need, citing studies showing that 14 to 15 percent of Filipinos are solo parents, a number that continues to rise alongside the cost of living.
“These are our frontliners at home, the mothers, fathers, grandparents and guardians who do double duty every single day,” Nazal said.
He continued, “Their resilience is admirable, but resilience alone does not pay for food, medicines or tuition. That is where the State must come in.”
Herrera, a long-time advocate for solo parents, said the measure addresses the gap between well-meaning laws and real-world access to benefits.
“The Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act was a milestone, but the reality is many solo parents still fall through the cracks. This bill makes the support more direct, more accessible and more responsive to urgent needs,” said Herrera, BH Party-list spokesperson.
“We owe it to them to move beyond token recognition and deliver actual, measurable relief,” she pointed out.
Herrera emphasized that institutionalizing the FASPP will guarantee annual funding under the General Appropriations Act, instead of relying on ad hoc or discretionary allocations.
“This is not charity, it is social justice. Solo parents are not asking for special treatment; they are asking for fairness, and this bill delivers that,” Herrera said.
Redd de Guzman, president of the National Council for Solo Parents (NCSP) in the Philippines, welcomed the proposed measure, calling it “a game-changer for millions of solo parents who have long waited for a safety net they can rely on.”