Ordinance for solo parents approved

April 25, 2013 First published on The News Today Libre

Iloilo - Single parents of the province can now look forward to more benefits as the Sangguniang Panlalawigan(SP) moved towards implementing the Solo Parents Ordinance of 2013

The Provincial Ordinance No. 2013-099 or Solo Parents Ordinance of 2013 will provide  benefits to single parents, especially government employees, in the province of Iloilo.

The ordinance was approved Wednesday after its third reading and props R.A. No. 8972 or the “The Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000”.

It is authored by vice governor Oscar Garin, Jr. and co-authored by June S. Mondejar of the 2nd District and PCL President Suzette Tenefrancia-Alquisada with the research and implementation of the Provincial Social Welfare Development (PSWD).

BENEFITS

Accredited single parents will receive 20% discount from state-operated hospitals and 50% if they are below poverty line.

All single parents will be enrolled to PhilHealth as provincial beneficiaries which means they won't be needing to pay premiums for the insurance.

Quarterly trainings from LGUs such as TESDA and DOLE will also be made accessible to them.

For single parents working in the provincial capitol, component municipalities or city, 7 days additional paid leave per year and flexible schedules will be provided.

GREAT HELP

Jo, mother of 3, was a single parent for 8 years before remarrying.

She is happy about the ordinance saying, “It is hard being a single parent and this will be of great help.”

But she adds, “The work benefits that are exclusive to the government employees could have been extended to private employees. After all,  single parents share the same hardships."

SINGLE PARENT ID

Single parents can seek proper accreditation from the PSWD 6 office at the provincial capitol or in their local counterparts.


There is an application form for an ID and the holder will have to renew the ID each year of his or her status remains the same.

SURVEY ON-GOING

Latest data from the PSWD 6 reveals there are around 6,000 single parents in the 12 out of 42 municipalities actively participating in the survey.

Concepcion and New Lucena pioneered the tallying of single parents. Oton, Guimbal, Janiuay, Concepcion, Bingawan, San Enrique, Pavia, Zarraga, Igbaras, Mina and Passi followed suit.

PSWD 6 admits that there is no complete data on the occurrence of single parents in the province.

Regional census reports do not create a tabulation for families with single parents.

PSWD 6 continues to conduct their own survey with the help of LGUs.


FEDERATING

PSWD 6 plans to create federations of solo parents in locales after the May 13 elections.

The federations will allow easier surveying, distribution of IDs and implementation of the benefits of the provincial ordinance.

The 12 active municipalities are leading the push towards proper canvassing of single parents.

GIVING FOCUS

Benefits for solo parents have been first grasped with the passing of RA 8972 or “The Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000”.

However, a PSWD 6 employee has said that it wasn’t given much attention and the ordinance attempts to address that.