MALATE, Manila- According to the 2015 Listahanan database, there are 69,646 or 2.7 percent of the 2,573,992 total assessed individuals claimed as solo parents which comprises of 19,722 (28.3%) males and 49,924 (71.7%) females in MIMAROPA region.

Listahanan recorded 22,604 or 1.9% solo parents identified as poor.

Republic Act No. 8972 also known as the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000 defines solo parent as were left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood or any other person who solely provides parental care and support to a child or children.

There are 6,057 poor solo parents in Oriental Mindoro; 3,478 poor solo parents in Occidental Mindoro; 1,661 solo parents in Marinduque; 2,813 solo parents in Romblon; and 8,595 poor solo parents in Palawan.

The City of Puerto Princesa tops in the list with the highest number of solo parents regionwide with 1,700 followed by the municipality of San Jose in Mindoro with 1,036 solo parents. The town of Narra, Palawan placed in the third rank with 672 solo parents.

Moreover, the top barangays with the highest number of solo parents are barangay Panaytayan, Mansalay in Oriental Mindoro with 155 poor solo parents; barangay Bancalaan, Balabac in Palawan with 152 poor solo parents; and barangay Sicsican in Puerto Princesa City with 124 poor solo parents.

On the other hand, there are 13,636 poor solo parents declared as house hold heads and a total of 2,238 solo parents which have not completed any level of education.

 The database further revealed that  in terms of marital status  of poor solo parent, 9,755 (43.2%) are widowed, 6,000 (26.5%) are separated, and 4,296 (19%) are single. Also, most of the solo parents are in the age bracket of 35 to 44 years old.

Listahanan is a mechanism of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that identifies who and where the poor are nationwide. From the  569,000 households assessed  regionwide, about  207,863 were identified as poor in MIMAROPA or Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan provinces.

Solo parent Benefits

Qualified solo parents may avail the parental leave; educational benefits from the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education; livelihood training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, as well as allocations in low cost housing projects and medical assistance.

DSWD has organized the MIMAROPA Solo Parents Employees Association to promote the welfare and rights of solo parent staff and their children. Also, the Department has allocated Php10,000.00 for livelihood assistance to qualified solo parent beneficiaries.

Nevertheless, DSWD calls to get solo parents ID valid for one year and is renewable, at the nearest social welfare and development office in their area to enjoy the said government benefits. ###