What benefits and programs are available to solo parents?

The Philippine government has extended the programs and benefits for solo parents under the Republic Act 11861, according to the National Council for Solo Parents. 

At a public briefing on Tuesday, Secretary-General Redd de Guzman said RA 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act has expanded its scope and increased the benefits granted to solo parents. 

The law now covers new categories of solo parents:

• A spouse, any family member, or a guardian of the child or children of an overseas Filipino worker [OFW], provided that the OFW belongs to a group of low/semi-skilled workers and has been away for an uninterrupted period of 12 months; 
• An unmarried parent who keeps and rears the child or children; 
• Any legal guardian, adoptive, or foster parent who solely provides parental care and support; 
• Any relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity of the parent or legal guardian who assumes parental care and support of the child or children as a result of death, abandonment, disappearance, or absence of the parents for at least six months; and, 
• A pregnant woman who provides sole parental care and support to the unborn child. 

Financial aid and medication 

Among the programs offered for solo parents earning minimum wage, is the P1,000 monthly subsidy and a 10% discount on certain medicines for low-income solo parents with children aged six years old and below. 

The law also provides automatic PhilHealth membership to all solo parents and all expenses will be covered by the government. 

“All solo parents may automatic PhilHealth membership, for working and non-working. Iso-shoulder ng national government and PhilHealth in any bracket,” said de Guzman. 

(All solo parents will have automatic PhilHealth membership, for working and non-working. Expenses will be covered by the national government and PhilHealth in any bracket.) 

Scholarships 

Instead of 21 years old, solo parents are eligible to receive these benefits until their children turn 22 years old. The government also provides scholarships for their children. 

“‘Yung panganay na anak ng solo parent, may full scholarship mula mag-start sa pag-aaral hanggang makatapos,” said de Guzman. 

(The eldest child of a solo parent will have a full scholarship from as soon as they start schooling until they graduate.) 

Workforce 

Moreover, solo parents are prioritized in low-cost housing, workforce, apprenticeships, livelihood training, reintegration programs for overseas Filipino workers, employment information/matching services, and other anti-poverty initiatives of the government.

De Guzman shared that solo parents shall be granted seven (7) working day parental leave upon rendering six (6) months of service. 

“Maraming solo parents ang capable of working pero nagre-resign kasi ang mangyayari ibabayad lang doon sa mag-a-alaga ng anak niya 'yung sweldo,” he said. 

(Many solo parents are capable of working but they resign since their salary will only be used to pay the nanny of their children.) 

“The law is not intended for the solo parent. It’s a way to empower the solo parents and offset the absentee parent para 'yung mga anak mapalaki nang maayos at mabigyan sila ng kakayahan na palakihin at bigyan ng magandang kinabukasan ‘yung kanilang mga anak (in order for them to raise their children well and give them a brighter future). That’s the intention of the law,” De Guzman noted.

To avail of the programs and benefits, a solo parent must apply for an eligibility assessment under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to obtain a solo parent ID. 

Apart from the categories mentioned, the law still covers the following categories of solo parents: 

• Parent whose child was born due to rape, even without a final conviction of the offender
• Parent of minors whose spouse has already died
• Parent whose spouse is sentenced to a criminal conviction for 3 months or more
• Parent whose spouse has physical or mental incapacity
• Legal separation or de facto separation from spouse
• Abandonment by the spouse (for at least six months.) 
• Declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage. 

In 2023, the World Health Organization said the estimated number of solo parents in the country is 14 to 15 million, and 95% are women. 

However, only 904 out of 1,634 local government units had encoded or submitted their data as of December 2023, according to the DSWD. Because of this, there are only 245,786 registered solo parents in the Philippines.

The Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, which lapsed into law on June 4, 2022, amended RA 8972 or the Solo Parents Welfare Act. — AOL/VBL, GMA Integrated News