The 20th Congress has officially opened, and lawmakers have wasted no time in filing a slew of bills reflecting their diverse advocacies. As in previous years, these proposed measures range from the serious and urgent to the quirky and arguably trivial—some sparking intense debate, others barely raising an eyebrow.
Notably, many of these bills are not entirely new. Several were originally filed during the 19th Congress but failed to gain traction and are now being refiled in hopes of finally becoming law. One such refiled proposal that stood out is Senator Panfilo Lacson’s “Parents Welfare Act of 2025,” which seeks to penalize children who neglect their aging parents. The bill revives ongoing discussions about intergenerational responsibility and the role of legislation in enforcing family obligations.
The bill has sparked concern from various sectors, with critics warning that it could strain, rather than strengthen, family relationships. And why not? If passed into law, children who abandon their parents in times of need could face imprisonment of six to ten years, along with a fine of no less than PHP300,000.
Imagine that—if my children are unable to support me when I’m old, sick, and broke, I could take them to court, and they might end up behind bars for at least six years, plus pay a hefty fine. It’s a harsh penalty that raises serious questions about fairness, compassion, and the role of the state in private family matters.
The National Commissione of Senior Citizens (NCSC) has expressed serious reservations about the proposed bill, cautioning against the use of punitive measures to compel children to care for their aging parents. According to the Commission, caregiving is a deeply personal and moral responsibility that should be nurtured through love, understanding, and cultural values—not imposed through the threat of imprisonment or heavy fines. The NCSC also warned that such a coercive approach could create more harm than good, potentially straining already fragile family relationships and jeopardizing the emotional and financial well-being of both parents and children.
With due respect to Senator Lacson, the bill runs counter to deeply rooted Filipino values of love, respect, and care within the family. Filipino families are traditionally close-knit and nurturing—not only toward parents and children but also toward extended family members. This is evident in the way many overseas Filipino workers willingly support not just their households but also siblings, nieces, and nephews, often out of compassion and solidarity with their families’ economic struggles. Given this cultural context, the proposed bill feels disconnected from the lived realities and spirit of mutual care that define the Filipino family.
There are, in fact, numerous instances where family feuds arise over business interests—disputes that often involve issues of inheritance, control, profit-sharing, or management decisions. When emotions are high and the boundaries between personal and professional relationships blur, these conflicts can escalate quickly. In some cases, long-standing family ties are severed due to disagreements over ownership or succession, showing that even within closely knit Filipino families, financial and business matters can become sources of deep division.
But these cases are on an entirely different level. While some families may argue over business assets or inheritance, poor families often struggle with far more immediate and pressing concerns—chief among them, the medical needs of their elderly parents. Many of these families live in poverty, where even basic healthcare is beyond their reach. As parents age, their need for medical attention increases—medicines, check-ups, hospital care, and maintenance treatments become essential. However, for children who barely earn enough to put food on the table, providing for these needs becomes an impossible burden. In such situations, the inability to meet these demands could be unfairly interpreted as neglect, when in truth, it is the result of systemic poverty and lack of access to adequate social services.
Could you please clarify what the bill aims to achieve within the already overburdened judicial system? Our courts are struggling under the weight of thousands of unresolved cases, with hearings often delayed for months, even years. Jails are overcrowded, and law enforcement agencies are stretched thin. Introducing a new layer of criminal liability—where parents may sue their children—will only further clog the system, diverting attention and resources from more urgent and serious crimes. Instead of promoting justice, this could result in prolonged legal battles within families, adding emotional distress to already vulnerable households. Rather than healing broken family ties, the bill risks deepening conflict and overwhelming a justice system already at its limits.
We must also ask whether elderly parents, many of whom are frail or unwell, even have the time, energy, or emotional strength to initiate legal action against their children and endure the demands of lengthy court proceedings.
Children grow, and parents grow old. Regardless of their economic status, parents are expected to make every effort to raise their children well—to provide them with education, guidance, and opportunities to become productive and responsible members of society. It is a deeply held belief that children are not investments to be repaid, but individuals nurtured out of love, duty, and moral responsibility. The success of a child is not a form of return on parental sacrifice but rather the fulfillment of a parent’s role in shaping a better future.
Addressing the needs of an aging population is fundamentally a responsibility of the government. As life expectancy increases and more Filipinos enter old age, it becomes imperative for the state to develop comprehensive policies and programs that ensure the welfare, health care, and dignity of senior citizens—especially those who are poor, sick, or without family support. While the Family Code of the Philippines does recognize the principle of mutual support between parents and children, this legal expectation must be balanced with the realities of poverty, unemployment, and limited access to services. The obligation of care within the family does not exempt the government from its duty to protect and provide for its elderly citizens, particularly when families themselves lack the means to do so.
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the foregoing article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) or any other office under the Presidential Communications Office.
