Article 47Labor and Agrarian Laws and Social Legislation, p. 47

LABOR LAWS AND SOCIAL LEGISLATION SPECIAL LAWS AND IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS

Section 45. Separability Clause . - If any provision or part

hereof is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder

of the law or the provisions not otherwise affected shall

remain valid and subsisting.

Section 46. Repealing Clause . - Any law, presidential

decree or issuance, executive order, letter of instruction,

administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to, or

inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby

repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

Section 47. Effectivity Clause . - This Act shall take effect

fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2)

newspapers of general circulation.

RA No 8972 | Solo Parents’ Welfare Act

of 2000

Rules and Regulations Implementing the Solo Parents'

Welfare Act of 2000

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES

TO SOLO PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN,

APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER

PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of

Representatives of the Philippines Congress assembled:

Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Solo

Parents' Welfare Act of 2000."

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the

State to promote the family as the foundation of the

nation,

strengthen its solidarity and ensure its total

development.

Towards

this

end,

it

shall

develop

a

comprehensive program of services for solo parents and

their children to be carried out by the Department of

Social

Welfare

and

Development

(DSWD),

the

Department

of

Health

(DOH),

the

Department

of

Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), the Department of

the

Interior

and

Local

Government

(DILG),

the

Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical

Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the

National Housing Authority (NHA), the Department of

Labor

and

Employment

(DOLE)

and

other

related

government and nongovernment agencies.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. - Whenever used in this

Act, the following terms shall mean as follows:

(a) "Solo parent" - any individual who falls under any of

the following categories:

(1) 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;

(2) Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of

parenthood due to death of spouse;

(3) Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of

parenthood while the spouse is detained or is serving

sentence for a criminal conviction for at least one (1) year;

(4) Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of

parenthood due to physical and/or mental incapacity of

spouse as certified by a public medical practitioner;

(5) Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of

parenthood due to legal separation or de facto separation

from spouse for at least one (1) year, as long as he/she is

entrusted with the custody of the children;

(6) Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of

parenthood due to declaration of nullity or annulment of

marriage as decreed by a court or by a church as long as

he/she is entrusted with the custody of the children;

(7) Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of

parenthood due to abandonment of spouse for at least

one (1) year;

(8) Unmarried mother/father who has preferred to keep

and rear her/his child/children instead of having others

care for them or give them up to a welfare institution;

(9) Any other person who solely provides parental care

and support to a child or children;

(10) Any family member who assumes 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 this Act, such that he/she is no

longer left alone with the responsibility of parenthood,

shall terminate his/her eligibility for these benefits.

(b) "Children" - refer to those living with and dependent

upon the solo parent for support who are unmarried,

unemployed and not more than eighteen (18) years of

age, or even over eighteen (18) years but are incapable of

self-support

because

of

mental

and/or

physical

defect/disability.

(c) "Parental responsibility" - with respect to their minor

children shall refer to the rights and duties of the parents

as defined in Article 220 of Executive Order No. 209, as

amended, otherwise known as the "Family Code of the

Philippines."

(d) "Parental leave" - shall mean leave benefits granted to

a solo parent to enable him/her to perform parental

duties and responsibilities where physical presence is

required.

(e) "Flexible work schedule" - is the right granted to a solo

parent employee to vary his/her arrival and departure

time without affecting the core work hours as defined by

the employer.

Section 4. Criteria for Support. - Any solo parent whose

income in the place of domicile falls below the poverty

threshold

as

set

by

the

National

Economic

and

Development

Authority

(NEDA)

and

subject

to

the

assessment of the DSWD worker in the area shall be

eligible for assistance: Provided, however , That any solo

parent whose income is above the poverty threshold shall

enjoy the benefits mentioned in Sections 6, 7 and 8 of

this Act.

Section

5.

Comprehensive

Package

of

Social

Development and Welfare Services. - A comprehensive

package of social development and welfare services for

solo parents and their families will be developed by the

DSWD, DOH, DECS, CHED, TESDA, DOLE, NHA and DILG,

in

coordination

with

local

government

units and a

nongovernmental organization with proven track record

in providing services for solo parents.

The DSWD shall coordinate with concerned agencies the

implementation of the comprehensive package of social

development and welfare services for solo parents and

their families. The package will initially include:

(a)

Livelihood

development

services

which

include

trainings on livelihood skills, basic business management,

value orientation and the provision of seed capital or job

placement.

(b) Counseling services which include individual, peer

group

or

family

counseling.

This

will

focus

on the

resolution of personal relationship and role conflicts.

(c)

Parent

effectiveness

services

which

include

the

provision and expansion of knowledge and skills of the

solo parent on early childhood development, behavior

management, health care, rights and duties of parents

and children.

(d) Critical incidence stress debriefing which includes

preventive

stress

management

strategy designed to

assist solo parents in coping with crisis situations and

cases of abuse.

(e) Special projects for individuals in need of protection

which

include

temporary

shelter,

counseling,

legal

assistance, medical care, self-concept or ego-building,

crisis management and spiritual enrichment.

© Compiled By RGL

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