National Council for Solo Parents to Launch Psychosocial Support Program in the Philippines
Manila, Philippines – The National Council for Solo Parents (NCSP) has announced plans to pilot its Strengthening Opportunities for Lone Parents (Solo) program, designed to tackle the psychological and emotional challenges faced by single parents.
According to Philippines News Agency, speaking at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on People’s Television Network, the Solo program is intended to help single-parent families manage both social and psychological difficulties. De Guzman emphasized the need to address not just financial issues but also the psychological impact of single parenting. He highlighted the rise in mental health cases and communication breakdowns within single-parent families as key concerns that the program aims to address.
The pilot implementation of the Solo program is set to be launched in Anda, Pangasinan; Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu Province; and Panabo City, Davao del Norte this year. The Department of Social Welfare and Development aims for a nationwide rollout of the program by 2025.
De Guzman also mentioned a discussion with Department of the Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary Elizabeth De Leon about organizing town hall meetings. These meetings will focus on disseminating information about government programs and projects for solo parents. The goal is to actively involve solo parents in nation-building and empower them to overcome trauma and stigma associated with single parenting.
Republic Act 11861, or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, defines solo parents under six categories. These include parents providing sole care and support for their children, family members or guardians of children of overseas Filipino workers, unmarried parents, legal guardians, adoptive or foster parents, relatives within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity assuming parental care due to death, abandonment, disappearance, or absence of the parents for at least six months, and pregnant women providing sole care for their unborn child.