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20 CONGRESS oS ey

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First Regular Session 0 inner

House Bill No. 4088

Introduced by: HON. MARK ANTHONY G. SANTOS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XV, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution recognizes the Filipino family as
the foundation of the nation and mandates the State to strengthen its solidarity
and actively promote its total development. It also affirms the duty of the State to
protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution and to
support parents in the upbringing of their children.

In pursuit of this constitutional mandate, the State has enacted measures to protect
and empower vulnerable family structures, including Republic Act No. 11861, or
the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act. This law has made critical strides in
addressing the needs of solo parents who bear the full burden of raising and
supporting their children.

However, one of the most pressing challenges faced by solo parents remains the
lack of stable, affordable, and secure housing. Many solo parents struggle to
provide adequate shelter due to limited income, lack of access to formal housing
finance, or rigid requirements that exclude them from traditional programs.

As a proponent of providing housing for all Filipinos, this proposed amendment
seeks to strengthen the State’s commitment to solo parents by introducing
housing loan assistance or financial subsidies for housing, specifically tailored to
meet their needs. By prioritizing solo parents in the allocation of government low-
cost housing projects and providing more flexible and affordable terms of
payment or subsidized housing loans, the State can help ensure that every solo
parent and their children have access to safe and dignified shelter.


This measure aligns with the intent of the Constitution and the objectives of RA
11861 by promoting family security, social justice, and inclusive development—
recognizing that adequate housing is not merely a basic need, but a fundamental

human right.

~~
MARK ANTHONY G. SANTOS
Representative, Lone District of Las Pifias


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Diliman, Quezon City

20 CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 4088

Introduced by: HON. MARK ANTHONY G. SANTOS

AN ACT PROVIDING HOUSING LOAN ASSISTANCE OR FINANCIAL
SUBSIDY TO SOLO PARENTS, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11861, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
"EXPANDED SOLO PARENTS WELFARE ACT"

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Solo Parents
Housing Assistance Act of 2025.”

SECTION 2. Amendment. — Section 15 of Republic Act No. 8972 as
amended by Section 12 of Republic Act No. 11861, otherwise known as the
“Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act,” is hereby further amended to read as
follows:

"Section 15. Additional Benefits. - A solo parent shall be entitled to the
following additional benefits:

(a) Means-, pension-, and subsidy-tested monthly cash subsidy of One
thousand pesos (P1,000.00) per month per solo parent who is earning a minimum
wage and below, to be allocated by the concerned city or municipal government
in accordance with Section 17(b)(2)(iv) of the Local Government Code:
Provided, That for fifth (Sth) class municipalities and lower, as well as the five
hundred (500) municipalities with the highest poverty incidence based on the
latest municipal-level small area poverty estimates, cash subsidy allocations may


be taken from the Gender and Development (GAD) budget and the amount of
cash subsidy per recipient may be dependent on the amount of the GAD budget:
Provided, further, That the solo parent under this section is not a recipient of any
other cash assistance or subsidy from any other government programs: Provided,
finally, That a beneficiary who is also a senior citizen or a person with disability
(PWD) may continue receiving senior citizen or PWD benefits without forfeiting
the benefits under this Act;

(b) A ten percent (10%) discount and exemption from the value-added tax
(VAT) on baby's milk, food and micronutrient supplements, and sanitary diapers
purchased, duly prescribed medicines, vaccines, and other medical supplements
purchased from the birth of the child or children until six (6) years of age of a
solo parent who is earning less than Two hundred fifty thousand pesos
(P250,000.00) annually, subject to adjustment in accordance with the provisions
on the exempt taxable income under the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC),
as amended by Republic Act No. 10963, otherwise known as the "Tax Reform
for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN)': Provided, That nothing in this section
shall violate the provisions of Republic Act No. 10028, otherwise known as the
‘Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009’;

(c) Automatic coverage under the National health Insurance Program
(NHIP) being administered by the PhilHealth with premium contributions to be
paid by the National Government: Provided, That the premium contribution of
solo parents in the formal economy shall be shared equally by their employees
and the National Government;

(d) Prioritization of solo parents, particularly solo mothers in re-entering
the work force, and their children as applicable, in apprenticeships, scholarships,
livelihood training, reintegration programs for OF Ws, employment information
and matching services, and other poverty alleviation programs of the TESDA,
DTI, CHED, DepEd, DOLE, DMW and other related government agencies,
subject to the standard eligibility and qualifications; and

(©) Solo parents whose monthly income falls below the poverty
threshold as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shall be
entitled to:

(Prioritization and allocation in housing projects with liberal
terms of payment on government low-cost housing projects in
accordance with housing law provisions.

(2)Housing loan assistance programs with reduced interest rates
and flexible payment terms, subject to eligibility and guidelines
as may be prescribed by the concerned housing agencies

(3)A direct monthly rental or housing subsidy not exceeding P1,000


per month for a maximum of 12 months, renewable subject to
need and budget availability.

To avail of the additional benefits under this section, the solo parent shall
present a Solo Parent Identification Card (SPIC): Provided, That in availing the
additional benefits under paragraph (2) of this section, the solo parent booklet
shall also be presented."

SECTION 3. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Relevant
government agencies, in coordination with other relevant stakeholders, experts,
and other government instrumentalities, shall promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days
from its effectivity.

SECTION 4. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is held
invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain
in full force and effect.

SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders,
proclamations, rules, and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 6. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days

after its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2)
newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,