THE Lapu-Lapu City Government has started the first payout of its cash assistance program for low-income solo parents, benefitting a total of 692 beneficiaries.
Lapu-Lapu Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan and Lapu-Lapu Lone District Rep. Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” King Chan, among other officials, led the payout event at the Hoops Dome in Barangay Gun-ob on Monday, March 25, 2024.
In a message sent to SunStar Cebu on Tuesday, March 26, City Councilor Annabeth Cuizon said the assistance was provided to qualified solo parents. They received P3,000 each, which is good for three months.
Lapu-Lapu City approved City Ordinance 16-120-2023 in November 2023, adopting Republic Act (RA) 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2022, which encourages local government units (LGUs) to provide a P1,000 monthly subsidy to qualified solo parents.
The law grants additional benefits to solo parents including the means-tested monthly cash subsidy of P1,000 per month per solo parent who is earning the minimum wage and below to be allocated by the concerned city or municipal government in accordance with Section 17 (b) (2) (iv) of the local government code, mandating LGUs to provide social welfare programs and projects.
Cuizon, who proposed the ordinance, said the City screened 1,900 solo parents and found that only 692 of them met the requirements to receive the assistance.
She added that the City has allotted P12 million for the cash assistance this year.
To qualify for the assistance, a solo parent must possess a Solo Parent Identification Card, an accomplished claim form, and must not be a beneficiary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or recipient of any other government assistance.
In addition, the beneficiary must be earning a minimum wage or below.
During his speech at the distribution on Monday, the mayor highlighted Lapu-Lapu as the first LGU to offer subsidies for low-income solo parents. He emphasized how the City Government has prioritized the needs of low-income solo parents.
On Feb. 15, Lapu-Lapu City signed a memorandum with the DSWD and became one of the pioneer LGUs to implement the Strengthening Opportunities for Lone Parents program, also known as Program Solo.
The program offers parent-child intervention and psychological and emotional support for single parents and introduces innovations in the areas of emotional support, alternative care arrangements for children or dependents and countering stigma and discrimination.
The program covers single parents with two to three non-working children below 22 years old, those living near their families and those in other categories stipulated in RA 11861. (HIC)