A draft memorandum circular of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) provides that the approved P1,000 monthly subsidy for qualified solo parents will be charged by local government units to their respective Gender and Development (GAD) budgets.
The draft MC seeks to provide guidelines for LGUs on the issuance of the “subsidy-tested” monthly cash subsidy per solo parent earning minimum wage and below.
Republic Act 11861, otherwise known as the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act,” gave an additional benefit of “means-, pension-, and subsidy-tested” monthly cash subsidy of P1,000 per month per solo parent who is earning a minimum wage and below, to be allocated by the concerned city or municipal government.
For 5th class municipalities and lower as well as 500 municipalities with the highest poverty incidence, the draft circular states, the cash subsidy allocations may be taken from the GAD budget and the amount of cash subsidy per recipient may be dependent on the amount of the GAD budget.
The law also states that the beneficiary solo parent must not be a recipient of any other cash assistance or subsidy from any other government program.
However, a beneficiary who is also a senior citizen or a person with disability (PWD) may continue receiving senior citizen or PWD benefits without forfeiting the benefits under RA 11861, it added.
Under the Act, a solo parent 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; a parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to the death of spouse, the detention of the spouse or serving of prison sentence for a criminal conviction for at least one year.
Also included as solo parents are those left alone to raise the child due to physical and/or mental incapacity of spouse, legal or de facto separation for at least one year, declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage or abandonment.
The definition likewise covered an unmarried father or mother who has preferred to keep and rear the child, any other person who solely provides parental care and support to a child or children, and any family member who assumed the responsibility of head of family as a result of the death, abandonment, disappearance or prolonged absence of the parents or solo parent.
A change in the status or circumstance of the parent claiming benefits under the Act shall terminate said eligibility for the benefits.
To enable the distribution of the benefit, the LGU shall issue a Solo Parent Identification Card (SPIC) and booklet once the solo parent submits a certified true copy of the required documents of the Solo Parent Office.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall establish and maintain a centralized database of all solo parents who have been issued SPIC or booklets by the LGUs.
It will be the city or municipality which will evaluate the submitted documentary requirements and assess whether the claiming solo parent is eligible to the subsidy-tested monthly subsidy.
RA 11861 penalizes any person who misrepresents status or falsifies any document to avail of the benefits, or cause another person to avail or be denied of the benefits, or any person who abuses the privileges and benefits granted therein shall be punished with a fine of not more than P50,000 and imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than one year or both at the discretion of the court.