OFW SPOUSES MUST ENJOY SOLO PARENTS' BENEFITS - HONTIVEROS

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros wants to extend the benefits of solo parents to spouses of overseas Filipino workers or OFWs. In a statement on Wednesday, Hontiveros said that her Expanded Solo Parents' Welfare Bill, if passed into law, will expand solo parents' benefits to OFW spouses.

"Parang mga solo parents na rin ang ilan sa mga asawa ng OFWs natin," she remarked.

Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 164 to expand benefits of solo parents in the country. Once enacted into law, spouses of semi-skilled OFWs, along with all solo parents in the country, will enjoy seven (7) additional days of parental leave annually, 20% discount on tuition fees, and discounts on medical and other basic needs, as well as discounts on recreational activities.

The bill covers spouses whose OFW partners have been abroad for at least a year without interruption. "Minsan, mahigit isang taon nang nasa abroad ang OFW na asawa. Mag-isa na rin minsang nagpapalaki ng anak. We need to extend the solo parents' benefits to them too," she urged.

"Malaki ang sakripisyo ng mga magulang na OFW. Kung wala man ang isa sa kanila, dapat may sapat na suporta mula sa gobyerno," Hontiveros said.

The Akbayan Senator also said that her bill is a way of giving back to overseas Filipinos for their sacrifice. "Malaki ang kontribusyon ng mga bayaning OFW sa ating ekonomiya. Sapat lang na bigyang-suporta natin ang mga pamilya nilang nandito sa bansa," she urged.

"Kapag mapasa ang Expanded Solo Parents' Welfare Act, mas magiging panatag siguro ang loob ng ating mga kababayang OFW," concluded Hontiveros.