Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 8972)
The official title is the "Solo Parents' Welfare Act of 2000."
The State policy is to promote the family as the foundation of the nation, strengthen its solidarity, and ensure its total development, by developing a comprehensive program of services for solo parents and their children.
A solo parent includes any individual who is left alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to various reasons such as rape, death, detention, incapacity, separation, annulment, abandonment of spouse, unmarried parent keeping the child, or any family member assuming parental responsibility.
Children refer to those living with and dependent upon the solo parent for support who are unmarried, unemployed, and not more than eighteen years old, or even over eighteen but incapable of self-support because of mental or physical disability.
The solo parent's income in their place of domicile must fall below the poverty threshold set by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), subject to assessment by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) worker in the area.
Any solo parent, regardless of income, shall enjoy benefits such as flexible work schedules, work discrimination protections, and parental leave as mentioned in Sections 6, 7, and 8 of the Act.
The package includes livelihood development services, counseling services, parent effectiveness services, critical incidence stress debriefing, and special projects for individuals in need of protection.
Employers are required to provide flexible work schedules for solo parents without affecting company productivity. Employers may request exemption from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on meritorious grounds.
Employers shall not discriminate against solo parent employees regarding terms and conditions of employment because of their solo parent status.
Solo parent employees who have rendered at least one year of service are granted parental leave of not more than seven working days every year in addition to existing leave privileges.
The Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) are responsible for providing scholarship programs and nonformal education programs.
Solo parents are given allocation in government low-cost housing projects with liberal terms of payment, prioritizing applicants who fall below the poverty line as declared by NEDA.
The DOH must develop and implement a comprehensive healthcare program for solo parents and their children through hospitals, medical centers, and local government health units.
The DSWD is tasked to conduct research, coordinate activities of organizations supporting solo parents, and monitor the implementation of the Act's provisions.
An inter-agency committee headed by the DSWD and including other government agencies is established to formulate the IRR within 90 days of the Act's effectivity.