Gov't urged to implement Solo Parents Welfare Act

MANILA, Philippines - A group of solo parents from the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Central Office (DSWD-CO) yesterday appealed to the Aquino administration to give due attention to the needs of single parents who are raising minor children.

DSWD-CO Solo Parents Support Group president Carina EA. Javier said that the national and local governments should fully implement the Republic Act 8972 or the Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000 – an act providing for benefits and privileges to solo parents and their children, appropriating funds thereof and for other purposes. It should also give way to amendments in the law.

“It is high time for the government to focus on the real situation and real needs and concerns of solo parents because the problem of solo parents creates other problems such as poverty, lack of employment, children deprived of education and juvenile delinquents,” said Javier.

She said that while the DSWD does not have a survey on the number of solo parents in the country, they believe the number of single parents is growing.

Solo parents head some 180,290 families that are beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Javier said that a World Health Organization funded study by the Department of Health and the University of the Philippines-National Institute for Health places the number of solo parents at 14-15 percent of the estimated 94 million Filipinos, which is about 14 million.

Solo parents cover not only the widows, separated and annulled but even the unmarried, victims of rape who chose to keep their child, those with detained spouse, those whose spouse are mentally and physically incapacitated.

Nowadays, there is also a younger breed of solo parents between the ages of 15 to 20 who were abandoned when they were impregnated by their boyfriends.

Javier said that while RA 8972 has been passed and implemented since year 2000, not everyone is aware of its existence and a sizable number of solo parents are unable to avail of the benefits that are entitled to them under the law.

One example is apart from the usual sick leaves and vacation leaves, a solo parent is entitled to a seven-day leave. Sadly, not all employers abide by this provision.

They are also seeking legislation to reduce taxes on single parents by 20 percent and provide discount on tuition of their minor children or those 17 years old and below in private schools.