Manila: Senator Panfilo Lacson has cleared up misconceptions regarding his proposed Senate Bill No. 396, known as the 'Parents Welfare Act of 2025'. The bill aims to ensure that parents receive support from their children during times of need.
According to Philippines News Agency, Lacson emphasized that the proposed measure does not obligate children to support parents who have abused, hurt, or neglected them. He stated, "Abuse, abandonment, or neglect by parents of their children are exempting circumstances. Under the proposed measure, walang obligasyon ang anak na magsuporta sa magulang na nang-abuso, nag-abandon at nagpabaya sa kanya (the child has no obligation to support parents who abused, abandoned, or neglected him/her)."
The bill seeks to extend support to parents who are senior citizens, sickly, or permanently incapacitated and unable to support themselves, regardless of age. It allows a parent in need of support to file a petition in court for a support order against children who fail to provide assistance. The Public Attorney's Office will assist with these petitions, and no court fees will be assessed.
Before proceeding with the petition, the court will refer the parties to a conciliation officer for mediation to foster family unity and peace. Should the children fail to comply with the support order without sufficient cause, the court may levy the amount due for each breach of order. Non-compliance for three consecutive months could lead to imprisonment of one to six months or a fine of PHP100,000.
Abandonment of a parent in need of support could result in six to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of PHP300,000. However, Lacson noted that if the court finds the parent had previously abandoned, abused, or neglected the child, the petition may be dismissed or the support amount reduced under Section 16 of the bill.
The bill also clarifies that children without financial capability are not obliged to support their parents. Lacson highlighted that the Family Code's Article 195 mandates the legal obligation of family members to support each other. The bill also considers other laws, such as RA 9262 or the Violence Against Women and Children Law, which protect children, spouses, and parents from abuse.
Lacson addressed concerns that the bill shifts the responsibility of supporting elderly parents entirely onto children. He assured that the government would establish "Old Age Homes" for elderly, sick, or incapacitated parents in every province and highly urbanized city, with each home accommodating at least 50 parents. Lacson emphasized that caring for elderly members is a shared responsibility between the government and the children, stating, "(Taking care of the elderly members of society) is a shared responsibility of government and the children of said elderly. The care for the aged is neither an exclusively private matter to be left to the family nor an exclusively public concern best left to the government."
