Solon eyes Solo Parent law amendments

A lawmaker on Thursday disclosed that the Solo Parent Law or Republic Act 11861 is not being properly implemented and is not fully benefiting its beneficiaries.

In a statement, ACT-CIS Representative Erwin Tulfo said the law was intended to help solo parents, whose number has already reached 15 million based on World Health Organization data.

‘If not lacking, delayed or non-existent, the monthly allowance to the solo parents is often not given because it was delegated by the law to the local government units where the beneficiaries are living.’

He also cited that half of these solo parents are living below the poverty line, yet they have to fully feel the benefits of the law.

“Based on the Expanded Solo Parent Act of 2022, there should be a monthly allowance of P1,000 for indigent single parents and discounts on certain grocery items,” Tulfo said.

“If not lacking, delayed or non-existent, the monthly allowance to the solo parents is often not given because it was delegated by the law to the local government units where the beneficiaries are living,” he added.

The lawmaker also stressed that many local government units do not know where to get the funding for the solo parents, particularly in poor municipalities and adding to the burden of the solo parents is the fact that they were not even able to avail of the discounts for grocery items.

Stores are also complaining that they will be suffering losses due to the many discounts they are giving to senior citizens and persons with disabilities but they don’t even receive help from the government.

The solution, according to the solon, is to amend the Expanded Solo Parents Act so that the funds to be given to indigent solo parents would be sourced from the national government.

“The purpose is good but there are some loopholes in the law which should be fixed so the intended beneficiaries receive the help,” he said.

The review for the Solo Parent Law was filed last year.