P600 allowance for solo parents okayed

CEBU, Philippines – The Talisay City Council had approved a resolution granting a P600 monthly allowance for solo parents, residing in the city, and requesting Mayor Johnny De Los Reyes to implement the grant, based on the Actual Procurement Plan.

Councilor Socrates Fernandez, chairman of the committee on social services, made the pitch for  Resolution 2015-37-7, saying the 22 solo parents’ presidents “are indigents and having difficulty in attending their monthly meetings due to financial constraints,” thus needing financial assistance.

Fernandez’s resolution only sought for a P300 allowance, but Councilor Dennis Basillote pushed for P600, an amount that was eventually carried out by the Council.

Presently, the Talisay City Solo Parent Workers Association (TCSPWA), a city-recognized single parents’ federation, has more than 400 members only.   The organization, a first in the province, was initiated by the Social Welfare Office through its head, Felipa Solana. It celebrated its first anniversary on August.

In 2005, the City Council approved the Solo Parent Welfare Ordinance providing benefits to single parents, as mandated by Republic Act 8972 or the Solo Parent Welfare Act of 2000, appropriating funds for the purpose.

Solana said at least 438 solo parents have registered with the organization and have been given identification cards.

Solo parents can avail themselves of comprehensive packages of programs or services, including livelihood, self-employment and skills development, employment-related benefits, and psychosocial, educational, health and housing services.

By law, a single parent is defined as one who cares for a child alone due to following causes: Death of spouse, physical and mental incapacity of spouse, imprisonment of the spouse for at least a year, legal separation from spouse for at least a year, annulment of marriage and abandonment by spouse for at least a year.

A woman who gives birth as a result of rape and raises her child, an unmarried mother or father who has preferred to keep the child, or any other person who solely provides parental care and support to a child provided he/she is a duly licensed foster parent of the DSWD, or duly appointed legal guardian through adoption, death and abandonment also qualifies for the allowance grant.