Discounts galore await 14M single parents with infants

A BILL seeking to give 20-percent discounts on milk, diaper and medicines to an estimated 14 million single parents, especially those with infants and who are considered among the most “vulnerable” members of society has been filed in the House of Representatives.

House Bill 3391 seeks to amend Republic Act 8972 or the Solo Parent’s Welfare Act of 2000 and expand the criteria for people to be considered single parents to now include spouses who are unemployed for a year.

“Being a solo parent doubles the responsibility of raising a child and it makes both solo parents and their children vulnerable to all of life’s hardships. As members of the society’s vulnerable  groups, solo parents need all the help they can get from the government,” said Party-list Rep. Carol Jane Lopez of You Against Corruption and Poverty.

Lopez, a solo parent herself, said that although unverified estimates puts the number of solo parents to 50 percent of the population, a World Health Organization-funded study done by the Department of Health and the University of the Philippines —National Institute for Health  places the number of solo parents at 14 p ercent to 15 percent of estimated  94 million Filipinos.

Lopez’s bill said the term solo parent should now apply to a “parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to the involuntary inability of the other spouse to have an employment for at least one year.”

Noting that people now spend an average of P5,000—P8,000 a month to raise babies 4 years old and below, Lopez proposed that solo parents be given “20-percent discount on all purchases of milk or formula products as well as diapers and other necessary infant items …. infant medicines and supplements.” Under the bill, those who fail to provide the necessary discounts will be fined from P10,000 to P50,000 or face imprisonment  of not less than six months but not more than one year or both, at the discretion of the Court.

Subsequent violators will be fined from P100,000 to P200,000 or face imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than two years, or both.

The bill also calls for the “cancellation or revocation of the business permit, permit to operate, franchise and other similar privileges granted to any business entity that fails to abide by the provisions of this Act.” “The changing times and the growing number of solo parents call for a more proactive and substantial help from the State for one of society’s most vulnerable groups—the solo parents and their infants,” Lopez said. –Fernan Marasigan / Reporter, Businessmirror