Republic Act 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act is not properly being implemented and is not fully helping its beneficiaries, according to ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo.
“Under the Expanded Solo Parents Act of 2022, indigent single parents should have a monthly allowance of P1,000 and a discount on certain grocery items,” Tulfo said in a mix of English and Filipino during a recent interview.
“It’s either insufficient or delayed. Sometimes no monthly allowance is given at all to single parents because the law leaves it up to the government of the city or town where they live… Most local governments do not know where to get the funds for solo parents, especially the municipality’s poor,” he added.
The House Deputy Majority Leader said solo parents are not even able to avail of the discounts for grocery items.
“The shops are complaining that they are losing money because they are giving a lot of discounts to the likes of senior citizens and PWDs but they are not getting any help from the government,” Tulfo said.
He suggested changing a provision in the said law where funds to be given to the indigent solo parents would be sourced from the national government: “Although the goal is good, there is a loophole in this law that needs to be fixed immediately to benefit single parents,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo previously filed a proposed bill to review the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act.
