Parents Welfare Act Seeks to Penalize Abandoning Elderly Parents

The bill mandates support for aging and incapacitated parents.

Published on Jul 16, 2025

Many elderly parents still end up neglected or abandoned for various reasons, whether it’s due to financial struggles, family issues, or lack of awareness about their needs. To address this, Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson has filed the Parents Welfare Act of 2025.

The proposed law aims to ensure children take responsibility for their aging, sick, or incapacitated parents by providing them with proper care and support. It also seeks to penalize those who refuse to care for their parents during times when they need help the most.

Also read: John Arcilla Says It's a Child's Duty to Care For Elderly 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,” Lacson wrote in a statement.

He continued, “Nowadays, the sights of abandoned elderly in our streets become typical. Children fail to provide the necessary support to their aging, sick, and incapacitated parents. This happens despite our moral and natural obligation to maintain our parents who are in need of support.”

“This proposed bill therefore seeks to further strengthen filial responsibility and to make it a criminal offense in case of flagrant violation thereof. Abandonment of a parent in need of support shall likewise constitute a criminal act.”

What Is the Parents Welfare Act of 2025?

While the Family Code already requires children to support their parents, Lacson noted that many elderly still end up neglected, especially when they can no longer provide for themselves.

If passed, the bill will allow parents in need of support to file a petition in court against children who refuse to help them. The Public Attorney’s Office will provide free legal representation, and no court fees will be charged. Before hearing the case, the court will refer both parties to mediation to preserve family unity.

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Once the court gives a support order, it takes effect immediately and can only be stopped by the Supreme Court. If children don’t follow the order without a valid reason, the court can collect the money from them. If they fail to support their parents for three months in a row without justifiable cause, they could be jailed for one to six months or fined P100,000.

Anyone responsible for an elderly parent who abandons them may face six to ten years in prison and a fine of P300,000.

Beyond penalties, the bill also proposes establishing Old Age Homes in every province and highly urbanized city to care for elderly parents who are sick, incapacitated, or have no family to turn to.

“While government is doing its best in providing support in the form of food and shelter as well as enacting legislations like the Senior Citizens Act, it cannot be over-emphasized that 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,” Lacson said.

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Hanna is a News Desk Writer at Smart Parenting, covering parenting, health, culture, and more. Off the clock, she’s likely people-watching at a café or park, matcha latte in hand.