SOLO PARENTS will have to wait as the rules committee has yet to draft the implementing rules and regulations of the solo parents’ ordinance.
A month has passed since the 20th city council approved the ordinance on third and final reading during their regular session on January 25.
Councilor Trisha Ann Villafuerte who co-authored the ordinance said the delay of the IRR was due to the ordinance being just recently approved a month ago.
Villafuerte added all establishments identified in the IRR will be mandated to provide discounts to solo parents. However, when asked if there will be penalties incurred to non-compliant establishments, Villafuerte said there will be none.
The ordinance states that every solo parent is entitled to a 10% discount on the purchase of necessities and medicines and vitamins not exceeding P5,000; basic school supplies, consultation and laboratory diagnostics, total bill on restaurants, exemption from value-added tax on infant and child rearing necessities, and on medical related bills.
She clarified that the releasing of the P1,000 cash subsidy stated under the ordinance is still subject for verification, whether it be released monthly or annually.
Regardless of the number of the children of a solo parent, he/ she is entitled to an equal amount of P1000 each.
The councilor said application turnout has been positive since the approval of the ordinance.
As of March 3, there are more than 7,000 registered solo parents in the city compared to 6,000 in January data, with about 6,593 solo parents ID issued.
An ID card is required before a solo parent can avail the benefits stated under the ordinance. The validity of such ID lasts for a year and is renewable subject to assessment and evaluation.
Villafuerte said the City Social Welfare and Development Office has deployed social workers to intensify the measures on the registration of solo parents in the barangay level.
“As of now, the social workers have conducted interviews with the solo parents, as application should start in the barangay level so as to check the applicant’s eligibility,” Villafuerte said during the Aprubado sa Konseho Media Forum, March 5.
Councilor Pilar Braga, committee on education chair and co-author of the ordinance added all solo parents will undergo screening and a monitoring team will be deployed to assess their status.
“The bottomline is you are a solo parent if you are the sole supporter of the children, there is a need to assess whether he/she is supporting the children,” Braga said.
Ground for termination of benefits include when the income of the solo parent falls above the poverty threshold stated under the section 4 of the ordinance, when he/ she remarries and when the child he/she is supporting turns 18 years old.
