Bill granting more benefits to solo parents lapses into law

It also provides a solo parent who is earning less than PHP250,000 annually with a 10 percent discount and exemption from the value-added tax (VAT) on baby’s milk, food, micronutrient supplements, and sanitary diapers purchased, duly prescribed medicines, vaccines, and other medical supplements purchased from the birth of the child or children until six years of age. (File Photo: Gabe Pierce/Unsplash)

MANILA – A bill that seeks to grant additional benefits to solo parents has lapsed into law without the signature of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, a copy of the law showed.

Republic Act (RA) 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, which amends several provisions of RA 8972, lapsed into law on June 4.

Under the new law, the definition of “solo parents” is expanded to include spouses or any family member of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are in the low/semi-skilled category and are away from the Philippines for an unbroken period of 12 months.

An amendment also includes grandparents and family members or qualified guardians who bear sole responsibility over the child.

RA 11861 directs the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary, in coordination with other agencies, to develop a “comprehensive package” of social protection services for solo parents and their families which includes livelihood opportunities, legal advice and assistance, counseling services, parent effectiveness services, and stress debriefing, among others, regardless of financial status.

The DSWD, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) must also establish and maintain a “centralized database” of all solo parents who have been issued solo parent identification cards (SPIC) or booklets.

The law entitles a solo parent to a monthly cash subsidy of PHP1,000 per solo parent who is earning a minimum wage and below, to be allocated by the concerned city or municipal government.

It also provides a solo parent who is earning less than PHP250,000 annually with a 10 percent discount and exemption from the value-added tax (VAT) on baby’s milk, food, micronutrient supplements, and sanitary diapers purchased, duly prescribed medicines, vaccines, and other medical supplements purchased from the birth of the child or children until six years of age.

On top of leave privileges under existing laws, solo parents will be granted a seven-day parental leave with pay regardless of employment status. Solo parents will also be given priority in a telecommuting program.

It also provides scholarship programs for solo parents and a full school scholarship for one child of a solo parent in institutions of basic, higher, and technical vocational skills education as well as automatic coverage under the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) being administered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation with premium contributions to be paid by the national government.

The law also adds a section declaring the third week and third Saturday of April of every year as Solo Parents Week and National Solo Parents Day, respectively.

RA 11861 is a consolidation of Senate Bill 1411 and House Bill 8097, which was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives last January 24.