House bill seeks more perks for solo parents

MANILA, Philippines – The national government should help solo parents fulfill their obligations to their children by giving them tax breaks, housing benefits and health and education insurance, according to an administration lawmaker.

Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas has filed House Bill 3498, which seeks to grant additional benefits to solo parents.

The bill aims to further strengthen Republic Act 8972, or the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000.

“Upon our consultations with the sector, we found a need to amend the law to make it more responsive to the needs of solo parents and their households,” Vargas said.

The law states that the Department of Social Welfare and Development and other related government agencies are tasked to provide comprehensive benefit packages to solo parents like tax breaks, housing benefits and health and education insurance.

The bill’s main objective is to decrease the waiting period from one year to six months before an individual can be allowed to avail of the benefits for solo parents, who he said are always “vulnerable to economic limitations.”

Vargas wants solo parents to be entitled to a 10 percent discount on children’s clothing and 15 percent discount on baby’s milk, food and food supplements for all purchases made within two years from the birth of the solo parent’s child.

Vargas also proposed that solo parents be entitled to 15 percent discount on all purchases of medicine and other medical supplies that shall be used by their children who are five years old and below.

The bill also includes penalties for non-compliance with the amended law.

“It is the quality of parenting, not the presence or absence of father or mother, which determines the holistic development of the youth and the Filipino family. Thus, we must exert all efforts to ensure that solo parents are armed with the right benefits so they are able to raise their children well, even when alone,” Vargas added.