Senator Panfilo Lacson has addressed misconceptions regarding his proposed Senate Bill No. 396, known as the “Parents Welfare Act of 2025,” which aims to ensure that parents receive support from their children during times of need.
In a statement on Thursday, Lacson emphasized that the proposed measure does not apply to parents who have abused, hurt, or neglected their children. “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),” he clarified.
The bill seeks to provide support for parents who are senior citizens, sickly, or who, regardless of age, are permanently incapacitated or unable to support themselves. Under the proposed measure, a parent in need of support may file a petition in court to request a support order against children who have failed or refused to provide such support. The Public Attorney’s Office will assist in these cases, and no court fees will be assessed.
Before hearing the petition, the court will refer the parties to a conciliation officer for mediation to preserve family unity and peace. If the children fail to comply with the support order without sufficient cause, the court may issue a warrant to levy the amount due for each breach of the order. Should a respondent fail to provide support for three consecutive months without justifiable cause, they may face imprisonment of one to six months or a fine of PHP100,000. Additionally, anyone who has the care or protection of a parent in need of support and abandons that parent will face six to ten years in prison and a fine of PHP300,000.
Lacson noted that under Section 16 of the bill, if the court determines that the parent in need of support had abandoned, abused, or neglected the child, it may dismiss the petition or reduce the amount of support. The bill also states that children who lack the financial capability to support their parents are not obligated to do so.
Furthermore, Lacson pointed out that Article 195 of the Family Code underscores the legal obligation of each family member to support one another. He added that his bill considers other laws, such as Republic Act 9262, the Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) Law, which protects children, spouses, and parents from abuse.
Lacson clarified that the bill does not shift the burden of supporting elderly parents solely onto children. Instead, it provides for the establishment of “Old Age Homes” for elderly, sick, or incapacitated parents in every province and highly urbanized city, with each home accommodating at least 50 parents.
“(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,” he concluded.