Short answer. Yes. Under Section 8 of Republic Act No. 8972, the seven-day parental leave for a solo parent is granted "in addition to leave privileges under existing laws" — so it is on top of your other leaves, not carved out of them. Note that RA 11861 (2022) has since expanded these benefits.
What the law says
In addition to leave privileges under existing laws, parental leave of not more than seven (7) working days every year shall be granted to any solo parent employee
RA 8972, Section 8 — Seven Days Parental Leave. Read the full provision →
What the law says
granted to any solo parent employee who has rendered service of at least one (1) year
RA 8972, Section 8 — Seven Days Parental Leave. Read the full provision →
It is in addition to your other leaves
Section 8 answers the question in its opening words. It provides that In addition to leave privileges under existing laws, parental leave of not more than seven (7) working days every year shall be granted to any solo parent employee. The phrase "in addition to" is the key: the solo parent's parental leave is separate from, and stacked on top of, the leaves you already enjoy under other laws — such as service incentive leave or maternity leave. Your employer cannot treat the seven days as merely a relabeling of leaves you were already entitled to; it is an extra entitlement.
Who qualifies and how much
Under the text of Section 8, the parental leave is up to seven working days every year, and it is granted to any solo parent employee who has rendered service of at least one (1) year. So the original requirements are that you be a solo parent employee and that you have at least one year of service. The seven days are working days, counted per year, and are meant to let a solo parent attend to parental duties. Being "not more than" seven days, it is a ceiling; the exact use within that limit follows the implementing rules and your employer's policies.
The rules have since been expanded
Important update: the solo-parent framework has been broadened. Republic Act No. 11861 (2022), the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, widened who qualifies as a solo parent, eased the service requirement for the parental leave, and added further benefits — including a discount and value-added tax exemption on certain purchases — that the older text does not contain. So treat the seven-day entitlement in Section 8 as the floor, not the ceiling. If you are a solo parent today, check RA 11861 and its rules for the current, more generous terms, including the updated qualifying conditions.
What the leave does and does not do
Section 8 establishes that the parental leave is an add-on, not a substitute; it does not reduce or replace the maternity, paternity, service incentive, or other leaves you may be entitled to. It also does not, by itself, spell out every detail of eligibility and use — those come from the implementing rules and, now, from the expanded law. What it settles for your question is clear: solo parent leave is meant to be on top of your other leave benefits, and later legislation has only strengthened, not shrunk, that position.