Bill seeks 20% price cut on infant products for solo parents

A party-list representative who is a single parent has filed a bill seeking to give 20-percent discount on milk, diaper and medicine products for parents like her, especially those who have infants. In filing House Bill 3391, You Against Corruption and Poverty (YACAP) Rep. Carol Jayne B. Lopez said being a solo parent doubles the responsibility of raising a child. “It makes both solo parents and their children vulnerable to all of life’s hardships. As members of the society’s vulnerable protection groups, solo parents need all the help they can get from the government," said Lopez Noting that around P5,000 – P8,000 per month is now spent raising a child four years and below, Lopez said solo parents should be given “twenty (20%) percent discount on all purchases of milk or formula products as well as diapers and other necessary infant items ... infant medicines and supplements." The bill, which will amend Republic Act No. 8972 or the Solo Parent's Welfare Act of 2000, also proposes to expand the criteria for people to be considered solo parents and include spouses who are unemployed for a year. According to the bill, the term solo parent should now apply to: “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 (1) year." A World Health Organization-funded study by the Department of Health (DOH) and the University of the Philippines – National Institute for Health (UP-NIH) places the number of solo parents at 14 to 15 percent of estimated 94 million Filipinos. Under HB 3391, those who fail to provide the mandated discounts will be fined from P10, 000 to P50,000, or jailed for not less than six months but not more than one year, or both. 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 pro-active and substantial help from the state for one of society’s most vulnerable groups – the solo parents and their infants," Lopez said.—Amita O. Legaspi/JV, GMANews.TV