As the nation observes National Women’s Month with the theme, “Babae sa Lahat ng Sektor, Aangat ang Bukas sa Bagong Pilipinas,” the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is encouraging all solo parents to apply for or update their Solo Parent Identification Cards (SPIC) to access the services available to them and ensure that they will not be left behind in development.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said on Tuesday (March 11) solo parents are entitled to expanded package of social protection services under Republic Act (RA) 11861, or the Expanded Solo Parents’ Welfare Act.
“To access various government programs and services from other institutions designed to support solo parents, they must register with their local government unit’s (LGU) Solo Parent Office (SPO) and apply for an SPIC and booklet,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao explained.
With the enactment of RA 11861, all solo parents and their child or dependent registered with their LGU’s SPO will be automatically covered under the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), administered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
Based on the PhilHealth Circular 2024-0020, solo parents must secure an SPIC from their LGU’s SPO to update their membership record and be tagged as a solo parent in PhilHealth’s system.
“The circular states that the national government will pay the premium contributions of solo parents, while those in the formal economy will have their contributions shared equally by their employer and the national government,” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out.
The expanded act also mandates a 10 percent discount and exemption from value-added tax (VAT) for solo parents earning less than Php250,000 annually on the purchase of their child’s milk, food, micronutrient supplements, sanitary diapers, prescribed medicines, vaccines, and other medical supplies from birth until the child turns six years old.
“The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) also issued Revenue Regulations No. 1-2023, stating that solo parents must present their SPIC and booklet to avail of the 10% discount and VAT exemption on qualified purchases,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.
The National Housing Authority (NHA) has also issued a memorandum circular allowing solo parents with a valid or updated SPIC and an income below the poverty line, as declared by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), to have equal access to housing opportunities in NHA projects and become responsible members of the Homeowners Association (HOA).
Other benefits under the expanded act include a monthly cash subsidy of Php1,000 from the solo parent’s respective LGU, provided that they earn a minimum wage or below and are not beneficiaries of any other government cash assistance program.
Solo parents and their children also have access to scholarships and other educational programs from the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). (YADP)