Can an unwed mother avail of the benefits of the Solo Parents Welfare Act?

Through an anonymous comment posted in my article on "Support for an abandoned woman and her children," I was informed that in one case, the DSWD refused to extend assistance to an unwed mother. This unwed mother was required to present either the death certificate of the spouse or of a decree of annulment of the marriage.

Section 3, paragraph [8] of RA 8972, in the Definition of Terms, expressly includes unwed mothers (and unwed fathers!) as among those included in the term "solo parent" and thus they can be recipients of the benefits of this law. The said paragraph defines a solo parent as an "unmarried mother/father who has preferred to keep and rear her/his child/children instead of having others care for them or give them up to a welfare institution."