DSWD expedites IRR for immediate benefits of solo parents

MANILA – Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo has directed the fast-tracking of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act so that beneficiaries may immediately enjoy their benefits.

A technical working group (TWG) has been created to draft the IRR for Republic Act 11861 which grants solo parents financial, educational, and housing benefits to help alleviate the burden of raising a child alone.

“The new law will be of great help to solo parents, especially that they are raising their children single-handedly,” Tulfo said in a statement on Tuesday.

Solo parents earning the minimum wage or less will be eligible for a monthly cash subsidy of PHP1,000 from the local government unit, provided that they do not receive cash assistance from another program.

The beneficiary will also have 10-percent discount and exemption from the value-added tax on the child’s milk, food, micronutrient supplements, sanitary diapers, duly prescribed medicines, vaccines, and other medical supplements from birth until the child is six years of age.

The solo parent will be prioritized in low-cost housing projects through the National Housing Authority with liberal terms of payment and will be provided with automatic coverage by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.

The solo parent can also access scholarship programs through the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, or Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, subject to eligibility and criteria qualifications.

A child of the solo parent may also qualify for a full scholarship program until age 21.

The new law provides solo parents, especially solo mothers, priority when reentering the workforce, and their children, as applicable, in apprenticeship, livelihood training, and other programs.

The DSWD is responsible for leading the development of a Comprehensive Package of Social Protection Services in collaboration with other national government agencies.

Moreover, a solo parent with a child or children in school will be prioritized in the selection of new beneficiaries Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program if their income is at or below the minimum wage.

Under the Sustainable Livelihood Program of the DSWD, the solo parent may also apply for livelihood assistance.

PBA party-list Rep. Margarita Nograles filed the Single Persons’ Welfare Act for single persons who are family breadwinners.

The bill defines a single individual as a person who is not legally married or whose previous marriage was annulled or declared void.

It also covers a person who exercises custody or provides financial support to minors not his or her child.

The dependents are minor siblings, minor nephews or nieces, unemployed parents and relatives, and ascendants up to the fourth degree of consanguinity who have disabilities.

Single individuals who fall under the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, however, are not covered by the bill.

“Some single or unmarried individuals likewise provide financial support to the children of their siblings, or serve as guardians in cases where their siblings are abroad or are financially incapable of supporting their own children,” Nograles said in a previous statement.