For the first time since the Solo Parents Financial Assistance Program became a city ordinance, 1,333 solo parents in Mandaue City will receive P12,000 in annual financial aid.

City Councilor Jimmy Lumapas, chairman of the Committee on Social Services, said the first tranche will be released on March 26, 2025.

Lumapas told DAILY TRIBUNE that raising children alone is not easy, especially when they reach school age, which is why the city government sees the need to provide additional support.

A total of 2,007 applications were received, but only 1,333 applicants qualified for the program.

Eligibility requirements

Applicants must be residents of Mandaue City, have an income below the Philippine Statistics Authority's poverty threshold, and must not be receiving other government subsidies, except for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

Additionally, they must own at least one chicken and earn below the minimum wage.

Lumapas clarified that solo parents earning P180,000 to below P250,000 annually are entitled to assistance for two children, while those earning P250,000 to below P300,000 can receive aid for three children.

For solo parents earning P300,000 and above, they must have at least four children to qualify.

To apply, solo parents must present a valid Solo Parent Identification Card, an affidavit of no employment for those without jobs, an income tax return for those employed, and a certificate of indigency.

Unlike the financial assistance program for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, which guarantees annual assistance, solo parents must undergo an annual evaluation by the City Social Welfare Services (CSWS).

If a recipient enters a new relationship or remarries, they will no longer qualify for the subsidy.

Children eligible under the program must be between 0 and 22 years old and must be under the custody of the solo parent, regardless of whether the parent is male or female.