Short answer. The original text of RA 8972 required at least one year of service before a solo parent employee could use the parental leave. But that service condition has since been eased by Republic Act No. 11861 (2022), the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, so treat the one-year figure as the old floor and check RA 11861 for the current requirement.
What the law says
who has rendered service of at least one (1) year
RA 8972, Section 8 — Seven Days Parental Leave. Read the full provision →
What the original law required
The Solo Parents' Welfare Act, RA 8972, granted a special parental leave to qualifying solo parents. As enacted, Section 8 provided that the leave — of not more than seven working days every year — is granted to a solo parent employee who has rendered service of at least one (1) year. On the face of that original text, an employee needed a full year of service before becoming entitled to the leave. This was in addition to leave privileges under existing laws, meaning it did not replace ordinary leaves but stacked on top of them for those who qualified as solo parents.
The rule has since been eased
This is the crucial update: the one-year service condition no longer stands as the last word. Republic Act No. 11861 (2022), the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, broadened who counts as a solo parent, eased the service requirement for the parental leave, and added benefits the older text did not contain. So a reader relying only on RA 8972's original one-year figure could be misled. Read that figure as a floor from the earlier version, not the current governing rule. For the requirement that actually applies today, the terms of RA 11861 and its implementing rules are what to consult.
Who the leave is meant for
The leave exists for employees who genuinely bear the burden of raising a child alone — the category the law calls a solo parent. RA 11861 widened that category, so more people may now qualify than under the original statute. The benefit is annual and is meant to help a solo parent attend to parental duties without losing pay for those days. It is a labor standard tied to the employment relationship, so it is claimed through one's employer under the conditions the current law and its rules lay down, including whatever service or eligibility proof those rules require.
Practical takeaway
If you are asking how long you must work before using solo parent leave, do not simply apply the old one-year rule. Confirm your status as a solo parent under the expanded definition, then check the service condition as set by RA 11861 and its implementing rules, which govern the entitlement now. Keep documents that establish your solo parent status, since these are typically needed to claim the leave and other benefits. The older one-year figure is useful context for how the benefit began, but the live question of eligibility is answered by the current, expanded law, not the superseded text.