A solo parent, as defined by RA 8972 is: A woman who gives birth as a result of rape and other crimes against chastity even without a final conviction of the offender, provided that mother keeps and raises the child. Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to the following circumstances:
a. Due to death of spouse.
b. Spouse is detained or is serving sentence for a criminal conviction for at least one (1) year.
c. Physical and/or mental incapacity of spouse as certified by a public medical practitioner.
d. Legal separation or de facto separation from spouse for at least one (1) year, as long as he/she is entrusted with the custody of the children.
e. Declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage as decreed by a court or by a church as long as he/she is entrusted with the custody of the children.
Unmarried mother/father who has preferred to keep and rear her/his child/children instead of having others care for them or give them up to a welfare institution. Any other person who solely provides parental care and support to a child or children. Any family member who assumes the responsibility of head of family as a result of the death, abandonment, disappearance or prolonged absence of the parents or solo parent.
CRITERIA FOR SUPPORT
Any solo parent whose income falls below the poverty threshold as set by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and subject to the assessment of the DSWD worker in the area shall be eligible for assistance. A solo parent can directly inquire from the following agencies to avail of their services:
- Health Services (DOH)
- Educational Services (CHED, TESDA)
- Housing (NHA)
- Parental Leave (Employer, DOLE, CSC)
Note: A solo parent whose income is above the poverty threshold shall enjoy only such limited benefits as flexible work schedule, parental leave and others to be determined by the DSWD.
Benefits
Tax incentives for solo parents with child/children with disability
Flexible work schedule
A solo parent employee has the right to vary his/her arrival and departure time without affecting the core work hours as defined by the employer. The employer shall provide for a flexible working schedule for solo parents, as long as it shall not affect individual and company productivity. In case of certain meritorious grounds, the employer may request exemption from DOLE.
No work discrimination
Employer are prohibited from discriminating against any solo parent employee with respect to terms and conditions of employment on account of his/her status.
Parental leave
The parental leave of seven (7) days shall be granted to any Solo Parent employee subject to the following conditions:
1. The solo parent must have rendered government service for a least one (1) year, whether continuous or broken, reckoned at the time of the effectivity of the law on September 22, 2002, regardless of the employment status.
2. The parental leave shall be availed of every year and shall not be convertible to cash. If not availed within the calendar year, said privilege shall be forfeited within the same year.
3. The parental leave shall be availed of on a continuous or staggered basis, subject to the approval of the Administrator. In this regard, the solo parent shall submit the application for parental leave at least one (1) week prior to availing the solo parent leave, except on emergency cases.
4. The solo parent employee may avail of parental leave under any of the following circumstances:
a. Attend to personal milestones of a child such as birthday, communion, graduation and other similar events;
b. Perform parental obligations such as enrollment and attendance in school programs, PTA meetings and the like;
c. Attend to medical social, spiritual and recreational needs of the child;
d. Other similar circumstances necessary in the performance of parental duties and responsibilities, where physical presence of the parent is required.
5. The head of agency/office concerned may determine whether granting of parental leave is proper or may conduct the necessary investigation to ascertain if grounds for termination and withdrawal of the privilege exist.
In addition to the services mentioned above, solo parents below the poverty threshold can also avail of these services :
- Medical Assistance
- Solo parents can avail of a DOH-developed health care program for solo parents and their children
- Housing Benefits.
- Housing benefits in the form of solo parent allocation in low-cost housing projects with liberal terms of payment.
- Educational Benefits
- Solo parents can avail of scholarship programs for basic, tertiary, technical skills/education, and other non-formal education programs for solo parents and their children. This program is developed by DECS, CHED, and TESDA
- Livelihood Training
- This includes training on livelihood skills, value orientation, business management, seed capital provision, or job placement.
- Parent Effectiveness Services
- This teaches single parents about early childhood development, health care, behavior management, and rights and duties of parents and children.
- Counseling Services
- For individual, peer group, or family counseling, focusing on the resolution of role conflicts and personal relationship.
- Stress Management Strategies
- This involves stress debriefing assistance for solo parents with cases of abuse and other crisis situations.
- Special Projects.
- For solo parents and children in need of protection which include medical care, temporary shelter, legal assistance, crisis management, self-concept or ego-building, and spiritual enrichment.
Requirements and Procedure
1. The applicants for the solo parent ID must bring the following documents to the City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office:
- Barangay certification certifying Solo Parent’s residency in the barangay for the last six months
- Certificates e.g., birth certificates of children, death certificate of spouse and other appropriate documentary support
- Income tax return or any document that will establish the income level of the solo parent
2. The social worker receives and ensures that all documents are complete and registers the applications with an appropriate case number in the log-book Registry of Solo Parents.
Note: The ID will be issued after 30 days from filing. The validity of the ID is one year and is renewable.
Source: Official Gazette
