MANILA – House of Representatives Deputy Majority Leader, ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, said he is pushing for the amendment of Republic Act (RA) 11861, or the Solo Parents Law, as its assistance is unfelt by the supposed beneficiaries.
“The Solo Parent Law, or Republic Act No. 11861, is not properly being implemented and is not fully helping its beneficiaries,” Tulfo said in a statement Thursday.
According to the World Health Organization, half of the country’s 15 million solo parents are living within the poverty line.
“Ayon sa Expanded Solo Parent Act of 2022, dapat may monthly allowance na PHP1,000 ang mga indigent single parents at diskwento sa mga certain grocery items (Based on the Expanded Solo Parent Act of 2022, there must be PHP1,000 monthly allowance for indigent single parents and discount on certain grocery items),” Tulfo said.
He said he also noticed that several local government units (LGUs), especially poor municipalities “do not know where to get funds for the solo parents.”
“If not deficient, there were times the monthly allowance was delayed, or worse, totally undelivered because the law assigned the city or the town where the beneficiaries reside, to shoulder the payment of the PHP1,000 assistance,” he added.
He said some stores were complaining due to the many discounts they have to consider, including those enacted for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Tulfo suggested that if the law were amended, funds for indigent solo parents’ assistance should be sourced from the national government.
“Bagamat maganda ang layunin, may butas ang batas na ito na kailangan ayusin agad para mapakinabangan ng mga solo parents (Though the law has a good purpose, it has loopholes that should be fixed immediately so that solo parents would benefit from it),” he said.
He already filed a proposed bill seeking a review of RA 11861. (PNA)