Gustong isama ni CIBAC Party-List Representative Bro. Eddie Villanueva ang mga balo sa ayudang pinansyal ng gobyerno.

“Death is an inherent certainty of life and the loss of a loved one, particularly a spouse, surely brings pain, anxiety, or sometimes ‘brain freeze’ in which the mind is deeply entangled in grief and unable to process things normally. Much more if the dead spouse is the sole breadwinner of the family, the financial loss due to the departure of the income earner aggravates the degree of grief and pain of the surviving spouse” aniya sa isang pahayag.

Ang House Bill 7795 o “Widower and Widow Financial Assistance Act,” ay may mandato magbigay ng tulong pinansyal sa mahihirap na balo sa halagang katumbas ng umiiral na minimum wage rate sa lugar ng kanyang tirahan sa loob ng tatlong buwan.

“With this measure, widowers/widows will be given financial assistance and emotional support to sustain them during a difficult time when they are vulnerable to bad and risky decisions that usually lead them to further hardships or debts. This aid will greatly help them and their families, especially the indigents, emerge victorious after an experience of a devastating loss,” dagdag ni Villanueva.

Ang nasabing tulong ay maaaring makuha sa pagpapakita ng residential/indigent certificate na inisyu ng sakop na barangay o local government  bilang karagdagan sa marriage certificate at death certificate ng namatay na asawa. Dapat ding patunayan ng nasabing residential/indigent certificate na ang mag-asawa ay nagsasama sa isang bahay sa oras ng kamatayan ng isa.

Ang panukalang batas ay nag-uutos din sa isang social worker mula sa barangay na magbigay ng grief counseling na idinisenyo upang tulungan ang mga balo na makayanan ang pagkawala ng kanyang asawa. Gayunpaman, isinasaad din ng panukalang batas na hindi na nito sakop ang mga balo na nakakakuha na ng parehong ayuda.

“This bill aims to protect the solidarity of the Filipino family and strengthen it even amidst life’s losses and shocks. After all, no less than God says that true religion is caring for those widows and orphans especially in times of distress. I hope Congress will favorably act on this measure with dispatch,” pagtatapos ni Villanueva.