BM Lammawin’s four proposed ordinances advance at Kalinga SP: Financial aid to indigent old maids and bachelors, solo parents, PDLs, women, Incentives for Child-Friendly LGUs

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Four proposed social welfare ordinances authored by Board Member Camilo T. Lammawin Jr. moved closer to approval by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Kalinga following deliberations during the council’s regular session on June 9.

The measures, which all aim to strengthen the province’s social protection programs, include financial assistance for indigent bachelors and old maids, solo parents, persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), indigent women, and incentives for high-performing local government units in child protection programs.

The ordinances are anchored on the social welfare and general welfare powers of local government units under the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160), among other legal basis.

Republic Act No. 7160 authorizes LGUs in the country to implement programs for vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors.

P5,000 aid for indigent bachelors and old maids

One of the proposed measures seeks to institutionalize the Self-Cared Individual Program under the Office of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer (OPSWDO), granting P5,000 financial assistance per semester to qualified beneficiaries.

The program covers indigent never-married individuals aged 51 to 59 years old in Kalinga who lack immediate family support systems, subject to validation by the OPSWDO.

Funds for the program will be sourced from the Family Welfare Program Fund of the OPSWDO.

P500 monthly aid for indigent solo parents

Another measure proposed by Lammawin is the provision of a P500 monthly financial assistance for qualified indigent solo parents in the province, pursuant to Republic Act No. 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act.

The Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act (RA 11861) is a national law that amended the older Solo Parents' Welfare Act (RA 8972) to provide broader protection, benefits, and government support to solo parents and their children. It was signed into law in 2022.

The assistance shall also be administered by the OPSWDO and charged against the office’s Family Welfare Program Fund.

The ordinance seeks to supplement national government programs by providing additional provincial-level support to solo parents facing economic hardship.

Assistance for indigent PDLs, solo parents, and women

A separate ordinance of the Board Member proposes P5,000 financial assistance per semester for qualified persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), solo parents, and women in vulnerable situations.

The program will likewise be implemented through the OPSWDO and sourced from the Family Welfare Program Fund, aiming to extend support to sectors with limited access to regular income and livelihood opportunities.

Incentives for high-performing LGUs in child protection programs

Another measure seeks to institutionalize an incentive system for local government units (LGUs) in the province that perform well in national child protection and governance assessments, including Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA), Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC), and Local Committee Against Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their Children (LCAT-VAWC).

The incentives will be sourced from the Provincial Council for Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Their Children Fund under also the OPSWDO.

The OPSWDO shall be responsible for screening beneficiaries, determining eligibility, and facilitating the release of assistance.

Lammawin, who chairs the SP Committee on Women, Senior Citizens, Solo Parents, Persons with Disabilities, Family, and Social Services, said the measures are part of ongoing efforts to expand the province’s social welfare reach.

He said the ordinances aim to support sectors that are often overlooked but remain vulnerable to poverty and lack of support systems.

During the session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan onn June 9, the measures were approved on second reading but will still undergo third and final reading before possible enactment.