A Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) official on Thursday reiterated the guidelines on the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2022 (RA 11861), clarifying misconceptions as to why some solo parents are not eligible for the Solo Parent Identification Card (SPIC) and its benefits.
Social Welfare Officer 4 Jocelyn Vince Cruz of the DSWD’s Protective Services Bureau (PSB) said RA 11861 further expanded the definition of solo parents as well as the benefits that they can avail under the expanded law.
Cruz said under the expanded law, a solo parent must exclusively exercise sole parental care and support to the child without any cohabitation or co-parenting arrangements.
This provision is often misunderstood, as some individuals consider themselves solo parents despite receiving support from a former spouse or other relatives, according to the PSB officer.
Based on the latest data from the DSWD’s PSB, there are 260,934 registered solo parents nationwide, with 291 LGUs currently providing monthly subsidies to beneficiaries.
“Kapag nagbabago po ’yung status ng solo parent, maaari po talaga siyang madisqualified (When a solo parent’s status is changed, she or he may be disqualified). That’s why the SPIC is renewable every year. It is the LGU that checks on this. If there is a report, a social worker will validate it),” Cruz said.
The law also provides that a child’s legal guardian, adoptive parent, or foster parent may be considered a solo parent.
Relatives within the fourth degree of consanguinity (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles, and cousins) who assume parental responsibility, as well as individuals with a low-income overseas Filipino worker (OFW) spouse, may also qualify as solo parents.
The age coverage of children or dependents has also been adjusted under RA 11861 — from the previous limit of 18 years old, dependents up to 22 years old may now be covered by the benefits, in line with the K–12 curriculum of the Department of Education (DepEd).
To qualify, children must be living with and dependent on the solo parent, unmarried, unemployed and enrolled in school if already of school age.
In addition, the expanded law introduces additional benefits for solo parents whose income is equal to or below the regional minimum wage, according to SWO4 Vince Cruz.
Eligible solo parent ID holders may receive a monthly subsidy of PHP1,000 (depends on the LGU). They may also avail themselves of a 10 percent discount and Value Added Tax (VAT) exemption on medicines, infant milk, food supplements and other medical supplies if the solo parent earns PHP250,000 or less annually and has a child aged 6 years and below.
Full premium coverage under PhilHealth is likewise provided. Solo parents are also given priority in government housing programs.
To apply for the SPIC, Cruz said solo parents may submit their application forms to the LGU’s solo parent division or to the local social welfare and development offices (LSWDOs).
“Mag a-attend din po sila ng orientation para maintindihan ang mga benepisyong maa-avail. Then mag a-undergo ba sila ng assessment. After verification, at na-prove na sila ay talagang isang solo parent, ibibigay na po sa kanila ang SPIC (They must attend orientation to know what benefits they can avail of. Then they will be assessed, and after verification, their SPIC will be given),” she said.
The DSWD is currently completing the unified ID system for solo parents.
Cruz said pilot testing is already ongoing in four local government units — Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa and Rodriguez and Cainta in Rizal — and is expected to conclude within the month
By the succeeding quarters of 2026, the DSWD aims to implement the unified system nationwide to cover all eligible solo parents under the program. (PNA)
