The Senate on Monday approved on second reading Senate Bill 1411, which seeks to expand the government’s assistance to solo parents.
The proposed measure will provide a 20% discount on the child’s medical needs, basic necessities, diapers until age of three, the hospital bills of both the solo parent and the child, and tuition fees from kindergarten until college.
It also gives solo parents an additional seven-day parental leave on top of the leave privileges provided under the law.
Companies with more than 300 employees are also compelled to set up a daycare facility under the proposed measure.
The bill will likewise expand the definition of solo parents to include spouses of low-income overseas Filipino workers who are away from the Philippines for an unbroken period of 12 months.
Prior to the bill’s approval, the chamber included an amendment which requires the submission of a sworn affidavit declaring that the solo parent is not cohabiting with a partner or co-parent and has the custody and bears the sole parental responsibility over the child or children.
In January 2021, the House of Representatives approved SB 1411’s counterpart measure on third and final reading. — BM, GMA News
0 Comments