Solo parents will soon receive additional benefits from the government as the Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading a measure seeking to expand social protection for single mothers and fathers.
With 22 affirmative votes, the chamber passed Senate Bill 1411 which proposes to amend the Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000, expanding its benefits and coverage.
The House of Representatives approved its version of the measure in January this year. This means a bicameral panel composed of members of both houses of Congress will come up with a reconciled bill that will be sent to the President for signing.
“Ang pagpasa ng Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act ay pagpapatunay na ang solo parents ay may mga kakampi sa gobyerno," said Sen. Risa Hontiveros, a solo parent herself, who sponsored the bill.
"May mga handang tumulong para mapagaan pa ang ‘solo’ naming dinadala. At sana ang batas na ito ay magsilbing paalala na kahit ‘solo’ man kaming tawagin, hinding-hindi kami nag-iisa,” she added.
The measure pushes for a comprehensive package of benefits and services for solo parents, including livelihood opportunities, legal assistance, counseling services, parent effectiveness services, and stress debriefing, among others, regardless of financial status.
It expands the definition of "solo parents" to include spouses or any family member of overseas Filipino workers who are in the low or semi-skilled category and are away from the Philippines for 12 consecutive months. Grandparents and family members or qualified guardians who bear sole responsibility over a child are also covered in this definition.
Once enacted into law, the bill will provide solo parents a monthly cash subsidy of P1,000 and grant them and their children scholarships in basic, higher and technical or vocational education.
Solo parents will also be automatically covered by PhilHealth, and will be given preference in government housing projects.
On top of leave privileges granted under the law, solo parents working in the government and the private sector will also be granted an additional seven-day parental leave with pay.
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