LAGUNA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ARTS

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES 1

Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

A solo parent is a parent who does not live with a spouse, or an unmarried person who

has sole duty for raising a child, or an individual or person who solely provides parenting and

support to a child or children, which includes a widowed mother or father who prefers to stay

and read to them. ("Solo parents" Welfare Act of 2000)

Solo parenting is currently a rapidly growing trend that every country views as an

economic and social disadvantage, particularly in developing countries such as the Philippines.

Lone parents are frequent in society, not only in cities, as a result of a divorce, legal separation,

donor insemination such as In Vitro Fertilization, and the use of surrogate mothers as a private

option for a few. Similarly, solo parenting is related with economic disadvantages in rural

locations, particularly in economically challenged areas. Most parents became single parents

because their partners abandoned them due to a third-party issue. At the time, teenage

pregnancy was considered normal, which contributed to the social and health problems that

were the primary concern of international leaders. A single mother's home is more prevalent

than a single father's home. (Bagolong, 2017)

In 2015, the Philippine Statistics Authority calculated that three million family heads

were not married, with the majority of them being female (two million). Eighty thousand people

are members of the federation of the lone oldsters. With these astounding findings out of the

ordinary, the expanding population is such growth thus far. Surveys from throughout the world

show economic and social disadvantages also. The financial struggle was genuine in single
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parent homes, and they were often less well off, which might result in a variety of concerns such

as lower academic levels and worse economic achievement.

In their podcast interview titled "Why Single Parent Families Face Triple Bind,"

Maldonado and Nieuwenhuis (2018) stated that they face disadvantages at work, such as a

gender pay gap, discrimination, and being stuck in low-paying jobs, as well as insufficient

resources, inequitable employment opportunities, and policies that do not practically support

solo parents. The most prevalent obstacles experienced by single moms were social, emotional,

and economic money drawback was the biggest stress for solo mothers, as opposed to the

wages of two financially solid parents. During this audio conversation, it may be so much for

government agencies to provide employment policies on paid leave, equality in the job, on

wages and edges, which would produce a lot of advantages for those single parents.

In the Philippines, President Estrada initiated a number of initiatives and regulations to

assist single parents. It all started in the year 2000, when President Joseph E. Estrada enacted

R.A. 8972, which immediately contributed to ease the lives of single parents and expanded the

rights of families with single parents. This statute establishes rights and advantages with

alternate edges. Other benefits include leave credits, a flexible work schedule, and academic

assistance for single moms. Solo parents must also get a Solo Parent Identification Card in order

for their children to take advantage of these benefits. According to CNNPhil.com, each single

parent should be aware of their rights and responsibilities, not only for themselves but also for

their children and what also can be provided by their local government.

The RA 8972 Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000 is a response to the needs of solo

parents. It promotes the family as the foundation of the nation by providing comprehensive

programs and services to address their needs. It mandates the Department of Social Welfare
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and Development to develop and implement comprehensive programs and services for solo

parents that focuses on the following principles:

 Nondiscrimination - Single parents and their children should not be compared to

households with two parents.

 Solo parents who receive adequate support and guidance can effectively

manage the challenges of parenting.

 Parents who are fully aware of their difficulties can manage better than those

who remain in their emotional state.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is honouring solo parents

providing parental care and support to their children on their own as the country

commemorates the first "Solo Parents Week" (every 3 rd Saturday of April). In regard to the

awareness that a growing number of solo parents exist, the reiteration of The RA 8972 Solo

Parents Welfare Act of 2000 will somehow help solo parents identify and resolve feelings of

loneliness, grief, frustrations, and other issues that affect their role performance. Additionally,

skills training and livelihood opportunities are provided to enable them to cope with the

financial demands of solo parenting.

In the Philippines, the Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000 has been in effect for more than

a decade. The application of these laws, however, is another concern. Many questions emerge,

including: Are the requirements of this Act known to the Solo Parents? Is this Act known to

private companies? Would this law boost or diminish an employee's productivity? The main

purpose of the study is to tackle the awareness of Solo parent to RA 8972 and their work

performance. In the end, it attempted to create an action plan particularly on the awareness of

the respondents on the provisions of this Act; extent of implementation; and degree of
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seriousness of the factors that affect the implementation of the Solo Parent Welfare Act of 2000

in order to meet the requirement including but not limited to the privileges and benefits given

to solo parents.

Theoretical Framework

This study was anchored on RA 8972 (SOLO PARENTS’ WELFARE ACT OF 2000) that aims

to improve the lives of single parents and their children. The statute proclaims the advantages

for single-parent homes in the Philippines, including social development. The Department of

Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), with the cooperation of non-governmental

organizations (NGOs), is in the vanguard of this act. There are special laws for single parents,

each of which builds on the previous to provide full protection. Individuals who satisfy the

standards can take advantage of these measures, which will aid them as they continue their

parental journey. RA 8972 equips solo parents with the resources and assistance they need to

raise their children, regardless their unique circumstances. These advantages take several forms,

such as social and economic development initiatives, family planning services, and counseling

sessions.

As for the Job performance, there is a set of behaviors under workers' control that

contribute to organizational goals. These are three major domains of job performance: task

performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior, providing a

comprehensive approach to overall job performance. (Sackett & Lievens, 2008)

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Figure 1
The Research Paradigm
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Level of Work Performance

Level of Awareness of Solo Parent
Employee to RA 8972 (SOLO
PARENTS’ WELFARE ACT OF 2000)
Legal Literacy Job Commitment
Privileges and Benefits Organizational Citizenship
Termination Clauses Behavior (Contextual
performance)
Counterproductive Work Behavior

The figure presents the conceptual framework for the proposed study. The independent

variable represents the level of Awareness of Solo Parent Employee to RA 8972 (SOLO PARENTS’

WELFARE ACT OF 2000) in terms of Legal Literacy, Privileges and Benefits, and Termination

Clauses while the dependent variable includes the assessment of the level of Work Performance

of Solo Parent Employee in private companies in terms of Job Commitment, Organizational

Citizenship Behavior (Contextual performance), and Counterproductive Work Behavior. The line

illustrates the direct influence of one variable to another

Statement of the Problem

This study sought to find the correlation between the level of awareness of Solo Parent

Employees to RA 8972 (SOLO PARENTS’ WELFARE ACT OF 2000) and Work in private company

residing in Calamba City Laguna. Specifically, it attempted to answer the following questions:
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1. What is the Level of Awareness of Solo Parent Employee to RA 8972 (SOLO PARENTS’

WELFARE ACT OF 2000) in terms of;

1.1 Legal Literacy

1.2 Privileges and Benefits, and

1.3 Termination Clauses?

2. What is the Level of Work Performance of Solo Parent Employee in private companies in

terms of;

2.1 Job Commitment

2.2 Organizational Citizenship Behavior (Contextual performance), and

2.3 Counterproductive Work Behavior?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the Level of Awareness of Solo Parent

Employees to RA 8972 (SOLO PARENTS’ WELFARE ACT OF 2000) and Work Performance

in private companies within Calamba City?

4. Based on the results of the study, what can be proposed?

Hypothesis of the Study

There is no significant relationship between the level of awareness of Solo Parent

Employee to RA 8972 (SOLO PARENTS’ WELFARE ACT OF 2000) and the level of Work

Performance of Solo Parent Employee in private companies located in Calamba City Laguna

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The scope of the study will be Solo Parent Employees and their Level of Awareness to RA

8972 (SOLO PARENTS’ WELFARE ACT OF 2000) and the Level of Work Performance of SOLO
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PARENT EMPLOYEES in private companies in terms of Kahn’s theory, within private companies in

the Calamba City, Laguna.

Significance of the Study

This study was mainly a tool to assess the Level of Awareness of Solo Parent Employee

to RA 8972 (SOLO PARENTS’ WELFARE ACT OF 2000) and its probable correlation to work

performance. Furthermore, this study shall be beneficial to the following:

Solo Parent. Knowing their lapses if there’s any, or critical area that needs

improvement, for them to be aware that we have a law that protects the welfare of solo parents

and ensures that they receive adequate social protection programs from the government.

The Private Companies. Knowing their lapses if there’s any, or critical area that needs

improvement, or aspect of organizational involvement that will be used to support the

enactment of Solo Parent Act of 2000.

The Citizens. Given the fact that the Solo Parents and private companies have improved

their participation and enactment to RA 8972 by seeking awareness on the provisions of this Act

and the extent of its implementation.

The Researcher. Researcher will be able to have a tool for learning-to-learn ability with

knowing what it takes to have a scientific mind, and measures needed to have a proper

awareness of RA 8972

The Future Researcher. This study may serve as additional reference for the future

researchers in their research which may be related to the present study.

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Definition of Terms

The following terms are the variables used from the title of the research and from the

statement of the problem of this study. The following are the conceptual definition of these

terms:

Solo Parents. Individuals who are left alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to death,

separation, declaration of nullity, abandonment of spouse, unmarried mother/father, foster

parent, or family member who assumes the responsibility of head of family as a result of the

death, abandonment, disappearance or prolonged absence of the parents or solo parents. These

individuals must keep and raise the child, have physical and/or mental incapacity, have legal

separation or de facto separation from spouse, declare of nullity or annulment of marriage,

abandonment of spouse, unmarried mother/father, foster parent, or family member who

assumes the responsibility of head of family as a result of the death, abandonment,

disappearance or prolonged absence of the parents or solo parents.

Parental Responsibility. Parents have a responsibility to provide their children with love,

affection, advice, guidance, moral and spiritual guidance, and educational materials.

Republic Act 8972. The Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000 proclaims that it is the policy of the

State must promote the family as the cornerstone of the country, build its unity and assure its

overall development. The law requires the development of a comprehensive package of services

to meet the needs of single parents.

Legal Literacy. Often known as legal education, is the level of competency in legal discourse

necessary for a meaningful and active existence in our increasingly legalistic and litigious culture.

(White, 2009)
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Performance. In human resource management, job performance is regarded as the ultimate

criterion (Ramos P., 2019). Its evaluation and analysis are essential for various organizational

processes such as personnel selection, compensation and rewards, and training.

Job Commitment. Is a set of behaviors that contribute to the production of a good or service. It

is difficult to find generic frameworks, so context-specific frameworks are used. Koopmans et al.

(2011) included task-performance indicators such as completing job tasks, keeping knowledge

up-to-date, working accurately and neatly, planning and organizing, and solving problems.

Contextual performance (OCB). Is behavior that contributes to the goals of the organization by

contributing to its social and psychological environment. Studies have supported the distinction

between task and contextual performance, but the dimensionality of contextual performance

has been investigated. Meta-analytic studies have found that multidimensional approaches are

best interpreted as indicators of a unidimensional construct. (Ramos P., 2019)

Counterproductive work behavior. Iis defined as "voluntary behavior that harms the well-being

of the organization" and includes off-task behavior, presentism, complaining, doing tasks

incorrectly on purpose, and misusing privileges. It has a bidimensional structure, but empirical

research has shown unidimensional and multidimensional approache. (Ramos P., 2019)