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BY GORDON Q. GUILLERGAN
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Tuesday, April 25, 2017
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“There’s a lot of weight on the shoulders of a single parent, and that’s taken a lot of energy away from me. It was always in the back of my mind that I had to do it, and I couldn’t count on anybody. There was no one around to pay for me to get through life.” – Joanna Cassidy
MANY believe our government has no way of helping parents abandoned by their spouses or are raising children on their own.
In case you have not known, we have Republic Act 8972, also known as the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000 which aims to grant benefits or protects the rights of those considered under this law as solo parents.
So who is a solo parent? He or she is any individual who falls under any of the following categories:
* a woman who gives birth as a result of rape and other crimes against chastity even without a final conviction of the offender: Provided, that the mother keeps and raises the child;
* parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to the death of spouse; or while the spouse is detained or is serving a sentence for a criminal conviction for at least one year;
* parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to the physical and/or mental incapacity of the spouse as certified by a public medical practitioner; or due to legal separation or de facto separation from spouse for at least one year, as long as he/she is entrusted with the custody of the children;
* parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to a declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage as decreed by a court or by a church as long as he/she is entrusted with the custody of the children; or due to abandonment of spouse for at least one year;
* unmarried mother/father who has preferred to keep and rear her/his child/children instead of having others care for them or give them up to a welfare institution; or any other person who solely provides parental care and support to a child or children; or any family member who assumes the responsibility of head of family as a result of the death, abandonment, disappearance or prolonged absence of the parents or solo parent.
What are the employment-related benefits available to ALL solo parents?
Flexible work schedule – This refers to the right of a solo parent employee to vary his/her arrival and departure time without affecting the core work hours as defined by the employer. The employer shall provide for a flexible working schedule for solo parents, as long as it shall not affect individual and company productivity. In case of certain meritorious grounds, the employer may request exemption from the Department of Labor and Employment.
No work discrimination – Employers are prohibited from discriminating against any solo parent employee with respect to terms and conditions of employment on account of his/her status.
Parental leave – leave benefits granted to a solo parent to enable him/her to perform parental duties and responsibilities where physical presence is required. In addition to leave privileges under existing laws, parental leave of not more than seven working days every year shall be granted to any solo parent employee who has rendered service of at least one year.
What other benefits are available to solo parents?
Subject to income thresholds (“poverty threshold”) set by the National Economic and Development Authority and subject to the assessment of the Department of Social Welfare and Development worker in the area, solo parents shall be entitled to the following:
* Educational benefits, including scholarship programs for qualified solo parents and their children in institutions of basic, tertiary and technical/skills education, and non-formal education programs appropriate for solo parents and their children
* Housing benefits, including allocation in government low-cost housing projects, with liberal terms of payment
* Medical assistance, with comprehensive health care programs for solo parents and their children to be implemented by the Department of Health through their retained hospitals and medical centers and the local government units through their provincial / district / city / municipal hospitals and rural health units
Our government knows the difficulty of being a single parent raising a child hence this law. In life it is hard enough to be alone, more so if you have a child to raise. The government sees the burden of being a solo parent./PN
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