IN A significant move towards supporting solo parents in the region, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Davao Region (DSWD-Davao) officially launched the Program SOLo (Strengthening Opportunities for Lone Parents) on March 14, 2024. The launch took place through a ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Local Government of Panabo and DSWD-Davao.
The Philippines, as per the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Listahanan 3 conducted by the National Household Targeting Office (NHTO), has identified a total of 583,787 individuals as solo parents. Among this number, 422,486 are women, and 161,301 are men.
Barangay New Visayas of Panabo City will be the pioneer barangay in Mindanao for this initiative. Thirty beneficiaries have been carefully selected based on the Listahanan 3 database.
The primary objective of the program is to empower single-parent households, enabling them to lead resilient and comfortable lives in alignment with the national development agenda. This involves ensuring solo parents in selected areas can effectively fulfill their parental responsibilities.
Ada A. Colico, assistant secretary for Statutory Programs and concurrent Alternate Chairperson of the Inter-Agency Coordinating and Monitoring Committee (IACMC) for the Expanded Solo Parents Act, committed top support all relevant agencies for the successful pilot implementation of the program.
"As your IACMC Alternate Chairperson, I assure you that I will encourage all member agencies to actively engage and back the pilot testing, ensuring favorable outcomes during the program evaluation. This will ensure bridging the gaps faced by solo parents across the country," Asec. Colico affirmed.
To ensure the seamless execution of the program, key stakeholders including DSWD-11 and the LGU Panabo will undergo comprehensive training in Cebu City next week, from March 18-23, 2024, along with other pilot implementers from Luzon and Visayas. This preparation phase aims to equip implementers with the necessary skills and knowledge for the successful implementation of Program SOLo. PIA DAVAO