The Ifugao Provincial Police Office (IPPO) made history on May 28, 2025, with its inaugural Solo Parents’ Day celebration with a theme, “Solo Parent na Rehistrado, sa Gobyerno Tiyak na Suportado (Registered Solo Parents, Supported by the Government),” held at Camp Col. Joaquin P. Dunuan Ifugao Provincial Police Office.
The program aimed to recognize the challenges, efforts, sacrifices, and commitment of building a family especially among uniformed personnel.
Further, the activity coincides with the national celebration after April 2025’s celebration. This amplified the needed recognition among solo parents in the PNP which heightened the awareness towards the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act (RA11861).
“We conducted this event for solo parents in the PNP to be informed and to enjoy their rights as it is stipulated in the law,” stated PCOL Jeremias Oyawon, Provincial Director and the Officers’ Ladies Club.
Cecile Unghiyon, Social Welfare Officer IV of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), shared in her lecture about the benefits and rights of single parents and the importance of availing a Solo Parent ID.
She enumerated the requirements such as the spouse’s death certificate or legal separation papers, proof of income or certificate of indigency, proof of residence, child support, and other documents as required by DSWD and a Certificate of Employment from the PNP.
Unghiyon also urged the solo parents in the PNP to sign up for PhilHealth, showing how it offers healthcare assistance and social services.
“Knowing your rights and accessing available resources are crucial. It is about empowering solo parents to navigate their challenges with greater confidence and support,” Unghiyon underscored.
This encourages the PNP solo parents to take action to improve their lives and their children’s futures.
This event recognizes the tough times single-parent officers go through that people often ignore.
In the testimonies of some of the PNP solo parents, they shared their difficulty to manage their career while raising kids, facing financial hardships, and sometimes discrimination.
Accordingly, their children are sometimes bullied for having a single parent. Sharing their stories as single parents helped everyone feel accepted and supported.
“Mahirap talaga maging solo parent lalo na kapag ‘yung mahal mo ay member din ng PWD. Mahirap kasi nanay ka na tatay ka pa, solo mo lahat pati gastos at emotional struggles (It is really hard being a single parent, especially when your loved one is a person with a disability (PWD). It is also difficult because you are both mother and father, handling everything alone, including the expenses and emotional burden),” a solo parent stated.
The lecture explained that solo parents benefit from tax breaks, flexible work hours for better childcare, emergency leave for unexpected situations, and scholarships to help pay for their children’s education.
Ifugao police’s pioneering efforts have set a great example. In the future, they plan to conduct it in other police units, push for better policies to help single-parent officers, and raise awareness about the challenges and contributions of single parents.
The end gola is to create a better workplace where these officers can succeed in their jobs and personal lives. This requires a collaborative effort involving the PNP, government agencies, and the community at large.// Roxanne K. Gampol