THE seven members of the majority in the Sangguniang Panlungsod received another virtual slap on their faces when solo parents rejected their proposed ordinance seeking to increase their monthly subsidy from the city government from the P1,000 monthly subsidy as provided for in R.A. No.11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Act passed in 2022, to P2,000.

They accused the majority members of using the measure authored by Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia to appear relevant to serve their political agenda.

In declining the offer of additional P1,000 sought by Draft Ordinance 0839, the solo parents cited the majority members refusal to support them when they withdrew the scholarship of their children by rejecting the 2023 annual budget submitted by Mayor Belen Fernandez that included the scholarship funds for their children.

The proposal this time is to further dilute the P200 million scholarship program to fund the proposed increase in their monthly subsidy.

The solo parents manifested their sentiment during a hearing called by the committee on finance, budget and appropriations chaired by Erfe-Mejia last Tuesday afternoon.

There are 5,000 scholars proposed by the city government but since the city is operating on a reenacted budget, some 2,500 scholars could not be accommodated and only scholars of the past city administration are being funded.

Appearing to media members earlier, Roma Ulanday, a solo parent from Barangay Malued, said the withdrawal of support for the scholarship of their children hurt them the most and the proposal to further reduce the scholarship fund for the proposed subsidy will hurt the parents of current scholars.

Ulanday maintained that if the councilors in the majority really cares for the welfare of solo parents as they now want to make it appear, it should have passed during the past administration when solo parents most needed financial help during the pandemic .

Virgie Neri Narag, a solo parent from Pugaro, said they’d rather see the annual budget passed first before adopting their proposal.

If the measure is adopted, Mayor Fernandez is expected to veto it, because it violates RA 11861 that mandates only P1,000 a monthly subsidy.

Last week, Barangay Health Workers and other volunteer workers also rejected the majority members proposal to increase the allowances of the city to P5,000 because they know it cannot be implemented because the city is operating on a reenacted budget.  (Leonardo Micua)

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