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| Among those looking forward to the added benefits are members of the Solo Parents group in HK |
Solo parents in the Philippines will not only get cash aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), but also help in raising children on their own.
This is in line with the new DSWD support program called Strengthening Opportunities
for Lone Parents Program, or Program SOLo, which will include parent-child
intervention and psychological and emotional support for the single parents.
The program was disclosed by Assistant Social Welfare
Secretary Ada Colico on Thursday (Feb. 15) who said the program “introduces
innovations” in the area of emotional support and alternative care for children
or dependents of solo parents.
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| Buksan ang mga tip |
On the same day, lawmaker LRay Villafuerte (2nd
district, Camarines Sur) announced that the Philippine Health Insurance
(PhilHealth) has begun working on the guidelines for the implementation of free
health services for single parents.
Free health insurance is part of the additional benefits
given to single parents under RA 11861, or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare
Act.
“Alongside a monthly cash subsidy for solo parents
earning the minimum wage or below and the 10-percent discount plus exemption
from the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on certain essential purchases,
single dads and moms are now entitled to free PhilHealth coverage,” Villafuerte
told reporters.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
The PhilHealth coverage is automatic and will apply
to both working and non-working solo parents.
The other benefits include scholarships for children or dependents aged 22 years and below, and a 10-percent discount and VAT exemption for a solo parent’s purchases of essentials such as baby’s milk, diapers and doctor-prescribed medicines for their kids aged six years and below.
Solo parents also get a seven-day parental leave
with pay, regardless of employment status.
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| TAWAG NA! |
(More on the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act here:
https://owwamember.com/dswd-solo-parent-assistance/)
Under the new law, solo parents will include not only legitimate husbands or wives, but also partners in common-law relationships, as defined by the Family Code.
Also included in the definition are those whose spouses have been medically certified as physically or
mentally incapacitated, those who have been separated from their spouses for at
least six months and have taken on sole parental care and support of their
children, those whose marriages have been nullified or annulled and have been
entrusted with solo parental care, those who have been abandoned by their
spouses for at least six months and those whose spouses have been jailed for
criminal conviction.
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| PINDUTIN ITO |
They may also include the spouses or family members
of overseas Filipino workers who have been away for 12 months, as well as grandparents
and other family members who have sole responsibility over the qualified
children.
An estimated 20 million Filipinos are now classified
as solo parents, including about 50% of all overseas Filipino workers with
children who are in Hong Kong.
A new group, the National Council of Solo Parents
Hong Kong Chapter, has been set up to help provide information and support for OFW
single parents in the city. The group headed by Marie Rivera, also conducts livelihood seminars and
leisure activities for its members.
Those who wish to join the group or ask for information may contact them by sending a message through their Facebook page: National Council of Solo Parents Hongkong Chapter.
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| PADALA NA! |
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