INTRODUCTION

A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Single parenthood is a growing trend in today’s world; this can be attributed to

increased rates of divorce, separation, mortality amongst parents and individual
decision to be single parents. It is something that is either too challenging or too
depressing to those who are in this situation.

Single parent is synonymous to “carrying all the burdens” which is a couple

should actually be sharing and resolving together. With all the responsibilities from the
child rearing issues, single parent or commonly called in the Philippines as “solo
parents” are faced with so many challenges. Hence, this study looked into the effects
of problems on the various aspects of the solo parents’ life namely their social, spiritual
and economic.

However, from the previous study have claimed that single-parent families are
fast growing due to the factors have been faced such as divorce, separation,
unintended pregnancy or birth to unmarried couple.

This paper will benefit the single or solo parents in handling the situation with
all the stressful circumstances they were experience.

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 B. IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

The family is said to be the most agent of socialization, especially for children.
Children in the most communities are raised in a highly structured and disciplined manner,
parents helped to instill and inculcate strong basic moral, spiritual, social, physical and
cognitive principles in their children (Santrock, 2002).

In the Philippines, the increase of single-parent caused by separation has

produces increasingly more children who are being raised in one-parent families and
more likely single in our country. By the virtue of Republic Act No. 8972, the state is duty
bound to provide the comprehensive program of services, benefits and privileges.

In local scenario, Malate (2019) in an interview said, being single parent is very
stressful. As a single parent, she has to handle several task and make more decision.
She may require effective ways to manage the special challenges single parents usually
experience, to support and nurture her little one.

Generally, the above statement conducted to find out the feelings, griefs,
experiences, responsibilities and love of their children. This research is beneficial to those
single parents who are lack of motivation specially in financial aspect. It provides
knowledge and idea to those people who are criticizing their situation.

C. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

 To give awareness to the millennials that being single parent could possibly
happen to them.
 To cite the advantage that being single parent is not miserable.
 To give perceptions for those single parents who are losing faith and
courage on their life.
 To suggest solutions to such problems.

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 D. TIME AND PLACE OF THE STUDY

Prior to conduct of our study, we asked some single parents. After contacting these
prospects and explaining to them the purpose of our study, some of them agreed to
participate. We underwent these processes namely: interviewing in-depth with the
participants, asking questions and note-taking. Before conducting the actual in-depth
interviews, we made sure that ethical considerations were properly observed.

The first interviewee named Jonalyn Malate, it was conducted at Purok Bonifacio,
Barangay Coronobe, Maragusan Compostela Valley on May 2, 2019. She said in an
interview, being single mother is challenging because she has to shoulder dual
responsibilities, where she is not only the breadwinner but also the manager. Among the
major problems is financial problem, emotional stress, and challenges in providing the
needs of her child with love and care.

However, Jenelyn Ablen the second interviewee who currently lived at Barangay
New Albay, Maragusan Compostela Valley on May 4, 2019. She said, becoming a single
mother is a traumatic experience due to the stress incurred in shouldering countless
responsibilities encompassing providing financial means, managing the household and
raising her child. Despite on her situation, she never gives up, double her effort for her
child and take care of her child even without father.

Furthermore, on May 6 2019, the third interviewee named, Johny Boy Comawas
who lived in Purok Bonifacio, Coronobe Maragusan. He once said, being a single father
is not an easy task, he encountered a lot of difficulties after the separation between his
wife. Especially he has a sick child who always seek for care, love and the one who look
after him. Inspite of his sacrifice, he still has so many options and opportunities if he
chooses to think positive.

Lastly, May 9, 2019, the interviewee named, Glen Gonzaga who lived in Mapawa
Maragusan, Compostela Valley. He was separated by his wife and had one daughter. He
said in an interview, being a single father is difficult to handle. He faced a tough
circumstances in rearing his child and ashamed to face people inspite of his situation. But
then, as a father of his child is not that bad – it can’t let him down for the rest of his life.

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 E. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

According to Nancy (1997) single parenthood is a phenomenon that has always

been in existence and is as old as mankind. A single parent is a parent, not living with a
spouse or partner, who has the most of the day-to-day responsibilities in raising the child
or children. The socialization of children is very important for the continuity of any culture.

A substantial amount of research found the absence of one parent in a family likely
to have a series of negative consequences on the well-being of children, growing up with
a lone parent. There is complexity of problems facing single parent that have been studied
while a number of important variables that affect the success or failure of children, who
grew up in these family formation is also being explore (Amato 1993).

Single parenting refers to a situation where mothers or fathers raise their children
without the presence of their spouse. Single parent as a parent, not living with a partner
who has the day-to-day responsibilities raising their children alone (Keller et al 1997).

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 MATERIALS AND METHOD

A. MATERIALS

In this research, the materials used in this study includes the research design, the
research subjects/participants, the research instrument, the research procedure as well
as the statistical instrument that will be used in the analysis of the gathered data.

The questionnaire as a device was a way to collect data in order to answer the
specific problems. There is one set of questionnaire will be used in this study.

The respondents were the following single parents which instructed to answer the
questions given to them.

B. METHODS

This chapter presents the participants’ experiences, insights and perceptions

which include generalizations that emerged from the information collected through in-
depth interviews. The following research questions contributed to the realization of the
data results. This study seeks to answer the following questions:

 What experiences do single parents have in rearing their families alone?

 What insights can single parents share in rearing their families alone?

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Table 1. Themes and Core Ideas on the Experiences of solo parents in Rearing Children Alone
MAJOR THEMES CORE IDEAS

I encountered a lot of difficulties.

I am always financially hard-up.

When child is sick, I’m the only one looking after him.
ADVERSITIES
Raising a child without a father/mother is very difficult.

Worried of the future because I am all alone in raising my kid.

There are times I almost wanted to surrender.

Continuation of Table 1.

MAJOR THEMES CORE IDEAS

I need to provide for their school needs, food, shelter.
I learned to stand on my feet.
I became more compassionate, accepting and
understanding.
STEADFASTNESS
I will take care of my child even without a father/Mother.
I will double my effort for my child.
I became strong and responsible for my child.
I tried to be brave despite times that I feel so down.

We have observed how single parenting is a very challenging role and

how their experiences affected the participants of the study.

Accordingly, we can also assert that single parents need more support
from the community where they belong. Parent support acts as a protective factor
countering some of the risk factors these children encounter (The Black Family Initiative,
2014).

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 CHAPTER 3

A. DICUSSING RESEARCH RESULT

The results of this study have shown that the single parents have a lot of various
adversities in life. Financial and emotional adversities in taking care and supporting the
needs of their children are common dilemma they stand against. Few single parents can
successfully raise children alone, despite the social expectation that noncustodial parents
(usually the father) should only be responsible for supplemental financial support, while
the custodial parent (usually the mother) takes on both parenting and economic roles.

We can say that single parents with school children are facing a lot of struggles
and that there is only limited support for these struggling parents from the community and
school. Their issues and concerns in rearing their children are often left unheard and
community leaders are passive with the single parents’ dilemmas.

In the Philippines, Republic Act 8972 provides programs, services, benefits and
privileges for solo parents. A person is qualified to be called and given the privileges if: a
woman gives birth as a result of rape, left alone with the responsibility due to death of
spouse, spouse is detained, spouse is mentally incapacitated, legally separated or
annulled.

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 B. WRITING THE CONCLUSION OF A RESEARCH

The endeavor of this study lies in the availability of the single parents and their
views and insights based on their experiences from which the results were derived. It
is in accordance with the views of Maslow (1943) which contributed a lot in the process
of this research. These views were my ladder to reach wider understandings and
insights of the single parents.

It provides the opportunities for the future researchers in other areas of single
parenting that have not yet investigated and could be used in order to determine useful
features of the qualitative research. There is much to be explored in this area and we
consider our study as one of the bases on learning more about the experiences of
single parents in the Philippines.

C. WRITING RECOMMENDATIONS

The following recommendations are offered by the researchers:

The findings of this study generalizable to 4 chosen participants, future research

may be conducted on the single parents.
Second, future research may be done by re-interviewing the participants to find out
if their insights and point of views are still the same.
Third, future research can take into consideration the creation of intervention
programs for single parents and their children so that they may feel that the school
community is their strong ally from which they can draw support and professional
guidance by the School Guidance Counsellor.
Fourth, a research on the role of community in creating a body to cater the issues
and concerns of single parents and their children which may include financial assistance,
loan programs and giving opportunities by inviting single parents to join cooperatives and
social groups that may help them in the future especially concerning their children’s
needs.

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IMPLICATIONS

In the light of the findings, it is necessary that single parents with school aged
children be supported by the efforts of the community, government and their children be
given adequate assistance by the school community.

This connotes that everyone in the community is responsible for helping each
other. Community, church and school leaders may devise a program and activity to
provide livelihood and financial assistance to single parents. It is in this way that the most
crucial problem of single parents be lessened and solved. Livelihood in form of art crafts,
cooking saleable goods and paid services such as hairdressing and massage can help
single parents in sustaining their families’ needs. While their children are at school, they
can do their sidelines and livelihood project in a location situated near the school so as
they can monitor and look for their children. Likewise, teachers can act as counsellors to
children with single parents and schedule a time for guidance and counselling. There may
be issues and questions that single parents can’t give to their children for their lack of
time. The teachers may keep the communication with both parents open and accessible
especially if there are changes in behavior displayed by a student. Education is one area
where effects of single parenting on children are very noticeable. Even a little change in
a child's behavior can signify issues at home. This is why it becomes very important to
keep parents fully involved in the child's education. There should always be open
communication between the school and home (Women’s and Children’s Health Network,
2015).