REPUBLIC ACT NO.

8972

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES TO SOLO PARENTS

AND THEIR CHILDREN, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES

A. SOLO PARENT

A solo parent is a person who is left alone with the responsibilities of

parenthood. A person is considered a solo parent by reason of:1
 giving birth as a result of rape or crimes against chastity, provided that
the mother keeps and raises the child
 death of spouse
 Detention or imprisonment of spouse for at least 1 year
 Physical or mental incapacity of spouse as certified by a public
medical practitioner
 Legal separation or de facto separation from spouse for at least 1 year
as long as he/she is in custody of the child or children
 Declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage
 Abandonment of spouse for at least 1 year
 An unmarried mother/father who preferred to keep and rear his/her
child or children instead of having others care for them or give them up
to a welfare institution
 A foster parent duly licensed by the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) or a legal guardian appointed by the court
 A family member who assumes responsibility of head of family as a
result of death, abandonment, disappearance or prolonged absence of
parents or solo parent for at least 1 year

B. BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO A SOLO PARENT

1. Flexible Work Schedule

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.2

The employer shall provide for a flexible working schedule for solo
parents: Provided, That the same shall not affect individual and company
productivity: Provided, further, That any employer may request exemption
from the above requirements from the DOLE on certain meritorious
grounds.3

1
Sec. 3(a), Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000
2
Sec. 3(e), ibid.
3
Sec. 6, ibid.
 2. Parental Leave

Parental leave is time-off granted to a solo parent to enable him/her to

perform parental duties and responsibilities where physical presence is
required.4 In addition to leave privileges under existing laws, parental leave
of not more than seven (7) working days every year shall be granted to
any solo parent employee who has rendered service of at least one (1)
year.5 The seven-day parental leave is non-cumulative and not convertible
to cash, if unused.6

Conditions for Entitlement to Parental Leave

The parental leave for solo parents can be availed of if the following
conditions are complies with:
a) The solo parent must have rendered at least one (1) year of
service, whether continuous or broken;
b) The solo parent must give notice to the employer of the availment
thereof within a reasonable time period; and
c) The solo parent must present his Solo Parent Identification Card to
the employer.7

Conditions for Granting Parental Leave to Solo Parents

The parental leave of seven (7) days shall be granted to any Solo Parent
employee subject to the following conditions:
a) The solo parent must have rendered government service for a least
one (1) year, whether continuous or broken, reckoned at the time of
the effectivity of the law on September 22, 2002, regardless of the
employment status.
b) The parental leave shall be availed of every year and shall not be
convertible to cash. If not availed within the calendar year, said
privilege shall be forfeited within the same year.
c) The parental leave shall be availed of on a continuous or staggered
basis, subject to the approval of the Administrator. In this regard,
the solo parent shall submit the application for parental leave at
least one (1) week prior to availing the solo parent leave, except on
emergency cases.
d) The solo parent employee may avail of parental leave under any of
the following circumstances:
 Attend to personal milestones of a child such as birthday,
communion, graduation and other similar events;
 Perform parental obligations such as enrollment and
attendance in school programs, PTA meetings and the like;
 Attend to medical social, spiritual and recreational needs of
the child;

4
Sec. 3(d), ibid.
5
Sec. 8, ibid.
6
Secs. 18 and 20, Rules Implementing the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000.
7
Sec. 4, supra.
  Other similar circumstances necessary in the performance of
parental duties and responsibilities, where physical presence
of the parent is required.
e) The head of agency/office concerned may determine whether
granting of parental leave is proper or may conduct the necessary
investigation to ascertain if grounds for termination and withdrawal
of the privilege exist.

3. Educational Benefits

The DECS, CHED and TESDA shall provide the following benefits and
privileges:
(a) Scholarship programs for qualified solo parents and their children in
institutions of basic, tertiary and technical/skills education; and
(b) Nonformal education programs appropriate for solo parents and
their children.

The DECS, CHED and TESDA shall promulgate rules and regulations
for the proper implementation of this program.8

Procedure for Availing Educational Benefits

To avail of the educational benefits under the Solo Parents Welfare Act, the
solo parents must:
(a) Secure an application form from either Department of Education,
Commission on Higher Education or Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) depending on his need; and
(b) Submit the duly accomplished form together with the following
documents:
(i) Solo Parent Identification Card;
(ii) Barangay clearance
(iii) Birth Certificate;
(iv) Notice of admission from the school; and
(v) Original or Certified True Copy of the transcript of record, or the
Report Card of the applicant attended school.9

4. Housing Benefits

Solo parents shall be given allocation in housing projects and shall be

provided with liberal terms of payment on said government low-cost
housing projects in accordance with housing law provisions prioritizing
applicants below the poverty line as declared by the NEDA, under the
following conditions:
(a) The solo parent applying for housing benefits must meet the
qualification criteria for housing assistance under the Urban
Development and Housing Act and other eligibility criteria set by the
National Housing Authority; and

8
Sec 9, Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000.
9
Sec 22, Rules Implementing the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000.
 (b) The eligible solo parent must file their application for housing unit
directly with the concerned National Housing Authority Project
Offices.10

5. Medical Assistance

The DOH shall develop a comprehensive health care program for solo
parents and their children. The program shall be implemented by the DOH
through their retained hospitals and medical centers and the local
government units (LGUs) through their provincial/district/city/municipal
hospitals and rural health units (RHUs).

C. SOLO PARENTS ELIGIBLE FOR ASSISTANCE

A solo parent is entitled to all the benefits previously mentioned if

his/her income falls under the poverty threshold set by the National Economic
and Development Authority (NEDA) and assessed by the DSWD. However, a
solo parent whose income falls above the threshold set by the NEDA, he/she
is entitled to flexible work schedule and parental leave. Also, he/she shall be
protected from work discrimination.

D. REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE IN AVAILING THE SOLO PARENT

BENEFITS

Before a solo parent may be entitle for the benefits mentioned he/ she
must first apply for a solo parent ID and must submit to the City/Municipal
Social Welfare Development Office the following documents:
a) Barangay certification certifying Solo Parent’s residency in the
barangay for the last six months
b) Certificates e.g., birth certificates, death certificate of spouse and
other documentary support
c) Income tax return or any document that will establish the income
level of the solo parent

The social worker will receive and ensure that all the documents are
complete and registers the applications with an appropriate case number in
the log-book Registry of Solo Parents. The solo parent ID will be issued after
30 days from the day of filing and it shall be valid for one year.11

E. ADDITIONAL ROLES AND POWERS OF DSWD

10
Sec. 10, Solo Parents’s Welfare Act of 2000; Sec. 24, Rules Implementing the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of
2000.
11
Solo Parent ID, Official Gazette, (October 19, 2017), http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/services/solo-
parent/.
 The DSWD shall perform the following additional powers and functions
relative to the welfare of solo parents and their families:

(a) Conduct research necessary to:

(i) develop a new body of knowledge on solo parents;
(ii) define executive and legislative measures needed to promote
and protect the interest of solo parents and their children; and
(iii) assess the effectiveness of programs designed for
disadvantaged solo parents and their children;
(b) Coordinate the activities of various governmental and
nongovernmental organizations engaged in promoting and
protecting the interests of solo parents and their children; and
(c) Monitor the implementation of the provisions of this Act and suggest
mechanisms by which such provisions are effectively
implemented.12

12
Sec. 12, Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000.