On Saturday, John Arcilla weighed in on the viral discussion about children supporting their parents out of 'utang na loob' on Facebook.
Although his post came shortly after celebrity Dani Barretto's opinion on the same topic sparked a discussion, the veteran actor clarified that it wasn't a rebuttal to anyone.
"'Utang na loob' and 'obligasyon' are wrong words 'pag ang usapan ay mga magulang na ating pinanggalingan," he argued.
The actor noted that, like how parents are obligated to provide for their own child, children are just as responsible for their aging parents, especially when they can no longer support themselves physically and financially.
He also stressed that taking care of aging parents is the norm, "Hindi naman utang na loob o obligasyon ang pagkupkop o pagtulong sa mga tumatandang magulang—dahil ito ay normal at natural na duty ng mga anak. Kasing natural at normal nung inaalagaan nila tayo noong maliit pa. Pinakain, dinamitan, iginapang, at pinag-aral."
"Hindi na dapat nagiging issue 'yun," he said. However, he also acknowledged that not all situations are the same, writing, "Ngayon, kung naging masama silang magulang o pinamigay nila tayo sa ibang tao, ibang kwento 'yun. Doon lang siguro magkakaroon ng iba't-ibang pamantayan kung responsibilidad pa rin ba sila ng mga anak."
Giving back to parents is part of the "normal cycle of life"
The award-winning actor, whose mother celebrated her 90th birthday last month, stated that giving back to the people who raised us is part of life's normal cycle.
"That is the normal cycle of life. Tayo bilang tao ay tagapag-alaga at tagapag-taguyod ng mas mahina kaysa sa atin, maging hayop man ito o kapwa tao—edi lalo na 'pag magulang na natin ang mahina at nangangailangan na ng tulong," said John.
He also recognized that a child's financial capacity might be one of the main factors why giving back becomes an issue. Regardless, he reiterated his point, "Ang mahalaga ay may kasama [silang] tumatawid sa natitira [nilang] buhay."
"Kaya nga dapat habang lumalaki ang tao at nangangarap, kasama sa plano natin at ng ating mga kapatid kung paano aalagaan ang mga magulang natin pagtanda nila," he said, adding that doing so sets a good example to one's own children.
The actor ended the post with a gentle reminder to parents: "Kung pinapangarap din nating makasama at alagaan tayo ng ating mga anak, ipakita natin sa kanila na normal at natural ang pag-aalaga at pag-aruga ng ating mga magulang."
Want to teach your kids how to give back to others? Here are some valuable tips.
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