Inter-agency body to hasten enforcement of new solo parents law

MANILA – Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian is set to convene next week the Inter-Agency Coordinating and Monitoring Committee (IACMC) to discuss and expedite the enforcement of Republic Act (RA) 11861 or "the Expanded Solo Parents' Welfare Act", along with its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

Gatchalian said he will convene the inter-agency body next week to thresh out guidelines for the implementation of the comprehensive package of social protection services defined in the expanded law.

"Ang importante yung mga ibang ahensya na nandoon sa dapat naatasang gumawa ng kani-kanilang mga plano katulad ng Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), dapat lahat yon meron na silang mga comprehensive packages para sa solo parents (What's important is that the other agencies tasked to create their respective plans, like TESDA and CHED, shall have their respective comprehensive packages for solo parents)," Gatchalian said during a radio interview over Radyo Pilipinas.

Republic Act 11861, which amended RA 8972 or the Solo Parents' Welfare Act of 2000, promotes the rights of Filipino solo parents and ensures that they can receive adequate social protection programs from the government.

The IRR of the expanded law was signed on Sept. 20, 2022.

"I'll do it immediately next week because the IRR has already been promulgated so we all should be moving forward," he stressed.

Under the expanded law, solo parents who are earning less than P250,000 annually are entitled to a 10 percent discount and exemption from the value-added tax (VAT) on their child's milk, food, micronutrient supplements, sanitary diapers, duly prescribed medicines, vaccines, as well as other medical supplements from the birth of the child until they turn six years old.

Even before the measure lapsed into law, Gatchalian stressed that the agency has been prioritizing solo parents in its various programs and services like the AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and SLP (Sustainable Livelihood Program).

Other benefits provided under the law are the monthly cash subsidy of P1,000 from their respective local government units; prioritization in low-cost housing projects through the National Housing Authority (NHA) and automatic coverage under PhilHealth's National Health Insurance program.

RA11861 also provides access to scholarships and other educational programs of the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), among others. (PNA)