Bacolod City: The city government has released PHP6.252 million in financial assistance to an initial 521 solo parents from various barangays in compliance with Republic Act 11861, also known as the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act. Each beneficiary received a lump sum subsidy of PHP12,000, which covers PHP1,000 each month for the year 2024, according to data from the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD).
According to Philippines News Agency, the city government stated that the goal is to empower solo parents by providing them with the necessary resources to ensure the well-being and development of their children. The cash aid is intended for essential expenses related to child-rearing, such as education, healthcare, and daily living costs. Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran mentioned that the City Council had approved a total allocation of PHP18 million to cover cash subsidies for approximately 1,500 solo parents for the year 2024.
In a separate interview, Richelle Verdeprado, head of the DSSD, emphasized that the cash subsidy is not exclusive to women. The city government aims to ensure that all solo parents, including fathers, receive assistance in raising their children. The Republic Act 11861 recognizes solo parents in various circumstances, including those raising children born from rape or other crimes against chastity, widows or widowers, parents with detained spouses, and parents with spouses who have a certified physical or mental incapacity.
The Act also includes legally separated or de facto separated parents, those whose marriages were annulled or declared null, and parents abandoned by their spouse for at least six months. It recognizes spouses or relatives of overseas Filipino workers working abroad for at least 12 months, as well as unmarried mothers or fathers who solely raise their children. Additionally, it covers legal guardians, adoptive or foster parents providing sole parental care, relatives up to the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity acting as sole guardians, and pregnant women providing sole care for their unborn child.
