No Spouse, No Problem: BM Lammawin pushes ₱5,000 aid for indigent Kalinga bachelors and old maids aged 51-59 lacking family support system

Tabuk City, Kalinga – A proposed provincial ordinance seeking to provide financial assistance to Kalinga residents who have never married has passed second reading before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

Authored by Board Member Camilo T. Lammawin Jr., popularly known in Kalinga as "CTL," the measure seeks to institutionalize the Self-Cared Individual Program under the Office of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer (OPSWDO).

Under the proposed ordinance, qualified beneficiaries would receive ₱5,000 in financial assistance per semester, with funding to be sourced from the Family Welfare Program Fund of the OPSWDO.

The measure specifically covers unmarried men and women, commonly referred to as bachelors and old maids, aged 51 to 59 years old, a sector that often receives limited attention despite facing challenges associated with aging and self-support.

Only indigent old maids and bachelors aged 51 to 59 years old who are residents of Kalinga and have never been married shall qualify for the financial assistance, subject to validation by the OPSWDO.

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

The measure is anchored on the provincial government's social welfare mandate under the Local Government Code of 1991, which authorizes local government units (LGUs) to implement programs and provide assistance to vulnerable and underserved sectors through the exercise of their general welfare powers, among other legal basis.

In an interview with Guru Press Cordillera, Lammawin said the proposal is intended to recognize individuals without the support system often provided by a spouse or children.

"The proposed ordinance is not only about providing financial aid but also about acknowledging their contributions. Mostly, tumutulong dagita pamilya da, communities. This is a simple way of showing that the provincial government values and supports these individuals. This is a simple way of showing that their contributions to their families and communities are valued," Lammawin explained.

According to the board member, the financial assistance may be modest, but it could help beneficiaries cover essential expenses, especially on medications and maintenance.

"Diay assistance ket bassit lang nu tutu-usen, maybe modest, but it can help them buy necessities, medicines, or other important expenses. More importantly, it sends the message that they are valued members of our communities," he added.

The proposal, formally titled “An Ordinance Institutionalizing the Self-Cared Individual Program of the Office of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer (OPSWDO), Granting Financial Assistance to Qualified Old Maids and Bachelors Aged Fifty-One (51) to Fifty-Nine (59) Years Old in the Province of Kalinga and Appropriating Funds Therefor,” was among the measures deliberated during the Provincial Board's regular session on June 9.

During the session, presided over by Board Member Jerome Chester Alunday, the board unanimously approved the ordinance on second reading. However, it must still pass a third and final reading before it can be enacted.

The proposed Self-Cared Individual Program is one of four social welfare ordinances introduced by Lammawin and deliberated by the Provincial Board during its June 9 regular session.

Another measure seeks to institutionalize the grant of incentives and awards to local government units that perform exceptionally in the 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) assessments.

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

Lammawin also proposed an ordinance granting P500 monthly financial assistance to qualified indigent solo parents in Kalinga pursuant to the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act (Republic Act No. 11861).

The assistance shall likewise be sourced from the Family Welfare Program Fund under the OPSWDO.

A separate measure seeks to provide P5,000 financial assistance per semester to qualified Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs), solo parents, and women, also chargeable against the Family Welfare Program Fund.

Lammawin, who chairs the SP Committee on Women, Senior Citizens, Solo Parents, Persons with Disabilities, Family, and Social Services, said the proposals form part of the committee's continuing efforts to expand social welfare programs to underserved and vulnerable sectors in the province.