MANILA: House of Representatives Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Party-list Representative Erwin Tulfo has raised concerns over Republic Act (RA) 11861, known as the Solo Parents Law, stating that its intended benefits are not reaching the beneficiaries. Tulfo is advocating for amendments to address these issues.

According to Philippines News Agency, Tulfo emphasized that the law, which is meant to provide financial assistance to solo parents, is not being implemented effectively. He pointed out that half of the country's 15 million solo parents live below the poverty line, a statistic provided by the World Health Organization. Under the Expanded Solo Parent Act of 2022, indigent single parents are supposed to receive a monthly allowance of PHP1,000 and discounts on specific grocery items. However, these benefits have not been consistently delivered.

Tulfo noted that some local government units, particularly in poorer municipalities, struggle to find the funds necessary to support solo parents. He mentioned instances where the monthly allowance was either delayed or not delivered at all, as the current law requires local cities or towns to shoulder the payment of the PHP1,000 assistance. Additionally, Tulfo highlighted complaints from store owners burdened by multiple discount obligations, including those for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

To address these challenges, Tulfo proposed that the national government should fund the assistance for indigent solo parents. He described the law as having a noble purpose but acknowledged that it contains loopholes needing immediate correction for the benefit of solo parents. Tulfo has already filed a bill seeking a review of RA 11861 to resolve these issues.