Tears stream down Zeny’s pale, sunken cheeks as she gazes at the crude stick drawing of a mother’s figure holding on to her children, and the words inscribed underneath…. “Sa aming pinakamamahal na ina, HAPPY MOTHER’s DAY! Salamat po sa inyong pagmamahal at pag-aaruga sa amin. Pagpalain po kayo ng Panginoong Diyos…ang inyong mga anak, Arvin, Mimi, Jhun-jhun (To our dearest mother, thank you for loving and taking care of us. May Almighty God bless you, from your children, Arvin, Mimi, Jhun-jhun).” Her weary eyes slowly surveyed the one-room shanty where she lives with her three children, aged seven to 14, finally settling on her kids, huddled together in a corner, sleeping peacefully.
Widowed for more than two years, Zeny, 46, feels helpless since her husband died suddenly in an accident in the factory where he used to work. The case Zeny filed against her husband’s employers for negligence is still pending in court. Her meager savings have all been used up, and to make both ends meet, she peddles snacks around the neighborhood. But the money she earns is hardly enough to feed and send her three children to school.
On the other hand, Robielyn, 32, still finds it difficult to accept what her husband has done – left her and their four children, aged three to 10, for another woman. To compound her predicament, Robielyn has been terminated from her job, and her husband refuses to support their children. Feeling emotionally bereft and physically exhausted, she is desperately in need of comfort and assistance.
Caren, 50, feels that her boys, aged 14 and 16 have drifted apart from her. Since her marriage was annulled, her sons, Mark and Dave have shut themselves off from her. In their minds, she should have stuck to the marriage, even after finding out that her husband of 20 years is a homosexual. Working almost 10 hours a day to make her small buy and sell business succeed, Caren hardly has the time to interact with her troubled teenagers. Thus, she feels confused, lonely and guilty, and does not know where to turn for help.
Zeny, Robielyn and Caren are solo parents or ‘nay-tays’ as we call them. Although their circumstances are different, they, along with several thousands more are considered as a vulnerable sector of society. They need assistance and guidance from the government, specifically, the agencies tasked to provide the comprehensive package of services for solo parents and their children.
Data from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) show that some 170,000 beneficiaries are solo parents.
42-year-old Rita Callado of San Jose, Arevalo, Iloilo City, a Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino beneficiary, recalled her ordeal when she separated from her husband after 13 years of marriage. According to Rita, “4Ps is a blessing to our family. I have found a new partner to help me sustain the needs of my children.
Meanwhile, the Social Services and Development Department of Quezon City places the number of solo parents in the city at more than 6,000 based on the number of solo parents’ identification card they have issued as of July 2011.
Package of services
Under RA 8972 otherwise known as the Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000, the DSWD, as the lead agency in the implementation of the law, together with the Departments of Health, Education, Finance, National Housing Authority, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, among others, came-up with a comprehensive package of programs and services. This includes trainings on livelihood skills and basic business management, scholarship programs in basic, tertiary and technical/skills education and non-formal education; allocation in government low-cost housing projects, and medical assistance.
Other available services are value orientation and the provision of seed capital or job placement; counseling, parent effectiveness service (PES), comprising 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, implemented by the local government units
Solo parents in DSWD Central Office organized themselves into a support group. Among their activities are counseling and spiritual enrichment sessions. There are more than 200 employees in DSWD nationwide who are categorized as solo parents.
Likewise, DSWD and its partner – agencies provide critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) designed to assist solo parents cope with crisis situations and cases of abuse, as well as special projects such as temporary shelter, counseling, legal assistance, medical care, self-concept or ego-building, and spiritual enrichment.
In addition, RA 8972 states the following benefits for bonafide or legitimate solo parents such as Flexible work schedule; Protection against Work discrimination; Seven Days Parental leave.
Role of DSWD
The DSWD continues to conduct research to develop a new body of knowledge on solo parents; defines executive and legislative measures needed to promote and protect their interest and that of their children; and assesses the effectiveness of programs.
In 2004, DSWD organized the solo parent – employees at the Central Office into a solo parents support group. The group was envisioned to offer an environment of support, a venue for the exchange of parenting techniques and a strategy which would facilitate access of solo parents to other social services. This strategy was included in DWSD Administrative Order No. 86 providing for the implementation of psychosocial activities for solo parents and their children. This is also an effective strategy to counter or minimize the stress and pressure being experienced by solo parents in the workplace.
Organized solo parents – support groups in the workplace and community enable solo parents to reach out and help one another in crisis situations, such as illness of a member.
The group comprising more than 30 employees elected their officers and embarked on activities to strengthen the spiritual and moral aspects of its members. These include sharing sessions, spiritual enhancement and peer counseling. The DSWD-CO solo parents support group help each other in times of crisis, such as illness of a colleague. The DSWD aims to institutionalize the organization of a solo parents group in the workplace, to provide the needed support for solo parent-employees.
Likewise, the Department coordinates the activities of various government and non-government organizations engaged in promoting and protecting the interests of solo parents and their children; monitors the implementation of the provisions of the act, and suggests mechanisms by which such provisions are effectively implemented.
Amendments
More than a decade after the Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000 was signed into law, advocates of solo parents’ rights and welfare deemed it necessary to amend the law to make it more responsive to the needs of solo parents nationwide.
Sharing sessions enable solo parents in the workplace to unburden themselves to their peers
The recent approval on the third and final reading of House Bill No. 6184, entitled, “An Act Granting Additional Benefits to Solo Parents, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 8972, otherwise known as the Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000 is a welcome development. It aims to provide relief to solo parents by offering them discounts and benefits.
The approved bill has adopted the amendments proposed by the DSWD, such as decreasing the waiting period to declare abandonment of spouse from one year to six months and the imposition of penalties.
“Solo parents are part of the disadvantaged sector that DSWD serves and protects, it is our responsibility to support legislative measures, which will help improve their lives,” Secretary Soliman stated. “The changing times and the growing number of single parent – households call for a more wholistic and substantial help from the government,” DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman said.
The road ahead
Admittedly, there is still a lot to be done to advocate the rights and welfare of solo parents. Foremost among these is the popularization of RA 8972, considering that some LGUs, especially in the remote, rural areas are not even aware of this law, which prevents them from implementing the corresponding programs and services.
The road is long and full of challenges, but with the government and private sector working together, strongly advocating for the implementation of the amendments in the law, and integrating all programs and services for solo parents and their children, solo parents like Zeny, Robielyn and Caren will finally have the support they badly need. ###
