DSWD: LGBTQIA+ members eligible for solo parent benefits under law

A senior official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Thursday that no provision in Philippine law prohibits members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) community from being recognized as solo parents.

Undersecretary and Special Committee on LGBTQIA+ Chairperson Elen De Vibar Pasion said Republic Act 11861, or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, aims to promote the rights of Filipino solo parents and ensure they receive adequate government social protection, including a comprehensive support package for them and their families.

“The law is clear. There is no room for interpretation that would allow us to say that members of the LGBTQIA+ community are not included,” Pasion said during the DSWD Media Forum on Thursday.

Under the law, a solo parent is an individual who provides sole parental care and support to a child due to various circumstances, including the abandonment, death, or detention of a spouse; having a spouse or family member who is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) for a specified period; or serving as a legal guardian, adoptive parent, or foster parent who solely provides parental care.

Viral solo parent in Valenzuela

Pasion stressed that relatives within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity may also qualify as solo parents, citing the case of Amanda Alvarez, an LGBTQIA+ community member whose experience involving alleged discrimination and delays in obtaining a solo parent ID in Valenzuela City recently went viral.

“Amanda, as the acting parent of her nieces and nephews, is not excluded, provided that she also submits the required documents,” the undersecretary said.

Pasion noted that Alvarez was able to obtain her solo parent ID after submitting all the necessary requirements to the Valenzuela City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).

“There was simply a misunderstanding because the process was not explained to her. As you know, when someone tells you something, the interpretation can vary. She waited, thinking that everything was already in order, but the application had not yet been processed. She still needed to submit additional documents or requirements beyond what she had already provided. It was simply a miscommunication,” she said.

Pasion urged the public to be more mindful and sensitive to the struggles of vulnerable and marginalized groups.

“We have to be more sensitive with our side comments, especially when we do not really know the law. Members of the community are not excluded. In fact, they are among those covered by the law,” the LGBTQIA+ committee chairperson said.

The latest data from the DSWD Protective Services Bureau (PSB) showed that 7,259 of the 294,649 registered solo parents nationwide belong to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) recorded the highest number, with 1,753 LGBTQIA+ solo parents, followed by CALABARZON with 1,553 and Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) with 1,468.