Solo Parent Leave

Yes, I am a solo parent...a single mother. However you want to call it...bottom line is I'm alone rearing my children.

I was made aware of the Solo Parent Act early last year. I learned that as a solo parent, I am entitled to an additional Parental Leave (Solo Parent Leave) of not more than 7 days every year..that is on top of the leaves provided by the company. Having known this, I immediately went to DSWD within our municipality. DSWD is the government arm handling the solo parent act concerns, i was told. But i realized, enjoying the solo parent privileges will not come as easy. You have to submit some documents and secure a solo parent id of which you have to present to your employer so you will earn additional 7 days of leaves. The documents are not really that hard to secure. As a matter of fact, each should be just within your reach...like copies of your children's birth certificates, 1x1 id, certificate of employment, barangay certificate and an affidavit of circumstances of being SOLO parent. I would assume additional docs will need to be submitted depending on the circumstance of which you have become a solo parent, i.e. death, legal separation, annulment, etc. Last year, I was in the process of completing all the docs needed. Everything was going on smoothly except for one flaw that delayed my documentation for another year. I couldn't get a Barangay Certificate. I was told that since I was not a registered voter in our municipality, I couldn't get one...and there was no way to register last year since Comelec was closed for registration. It's petty yet it meant no additional 7 days for me last year...

So this year, as one of my 2009 projects, i need to have my solo parent id. So, i went again to the Barangay Hall this afternoon and inquired on how i can get a BC. I was informed that Comelec is now open for registration. The registration, actually, started Dec 2008 and will end Dec 2009. And register i did. It didn't even take me 2 hours to do so. So I was back in the Barangay Hall .




I have it with me now...the most elusive document of last year. Now, I've yet to complete the other requirements since the docs that i have from last year are already invalid. I vowed to myself to submit everything within this month because i was told, it's still going to take some time before they release the ID. There would be investigations, interviews, etc. But I'm fine with that since I still have my regular leaves with me.

By the way, for solo parents out there, just click on this link to get more info on the other privileges you can enjoy as a solo parent. Though you really have to be qualified to do so.