TABUK CITY, Kalinga — A proposed ordinance granting financial assistance to qualified unmarried residents aged 51 to 59 has passed second reading before the Kalinga Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Authored by Provincial Board Member Camilo T. Lammawin Jr., the measure seeks to institutionalize the Self-Cared Individual Program under the Office of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer (OPSWDO).

The proposed ordinance, titled "An Ordinance Institutionalizing the Self-Cared Individual Program of the Office of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer, Granting Financial Assistance to Qualified Old Maids and Bachelors Aged Fifty-One (51) to Fifty-Nine (59) Years Old in the Province of Kalinga and Appropriating Funds Therefor," aims to provide support to men and women who have never married.

Lammawin, who chairs the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Women, Senior Citizens, Solo Parents, Persons with Disabilities, Family, and Social Services, said the measure recognizes a sector that often receives little attention despite facing the challenges of aging while maintaining financial independence.

If enacted, qualified beneficiaries will receive P5,000 in financial assistance every semester.

The funding for the program will come from the Family Welfare Program of the OPSWDO.

The proposed measure still requires approval on third reading before it can be enacted into law.