Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has refiled the Parents Welfare Act of 2025, a bill aimed at strengthening filial responsibility and ensuring children provide support to their aging, sick, or incapacitated parents.
“We, Filipinos, are well-known for our close family ties. Because of this, it is not surprising that we have the usual inclination to care for our elderly. However, even with this close family ties, there are cases of elderly, sick, and incapacitated parents who were abandoned by their own children,” said Lacson.
The bill proposes penalties for children who refuse or fail to support their needy parents.
Parents may petition the court for a support order against neglectful children. Legal aid will be provided by the Public Attorney’s Office, and court fees will be waived. Before trial, both parties will undergo mediation to encourage family reconciliation.
Support orders will be immediately enforceable. If a child fails to comply for three consecutive months without valid reason, they may face 1–6 months in prison or a P100,000 fine. Those who abandon a parent under their care could face 6–10 years in prison and a P300,000 fine.
Lacson noted that while the Family Code requires children to support parents, the law lacks teeth. His bill follows the example of 30 U.S. states that enforce similar filial responsibility laws.
To further assist the elderly, the bill also mandates the establishment of “Old Age Homes” in every province and highly urbanized city, with a minimum capacity of 50 residents per facility.
“Taking care of the elderly members of the society is not only the function of government, but rather it 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,” said Lacson.IMT
