Bill mandates family support for the elderly

MANILA, Philippines—A proposed law seeking to provide mandatory family support for needy elderly members has been filed in Congress.

House Bill 1514, or the Elderly Support Act of 2010 authored by Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco, seeks to put an end to the sad plight of elderly members of the community.

Syjuco said the government must address the concerns of the growing elderly population by addressing the growing problem of neglect and abandonment.

“House Bill 1514 is seeking to address the plight of the elderly members of the family by mandating and legally obliging the family members, legitimate or illegitimate, to provide financial support to the elderly members of their family,” Syjuco said.

Under the bill, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall provide the elderly member a lawyer from the Public Attorney’s Office and be exempted from all charges and legal fees upon trial.

It also empowers the DSWD or its appointed counsel to represent a needy elderly member in filing a petition in court for his/her maintenance and support from any or all of his/her children.

Syjuco said the petition for maintenance and support must state the facts showing that the elderly member is aged and is incapable of supporting himself/herself, and the names, residence and the current economic status of the children.

He said the court should first take into consideration the financial capability of the children before it orders the maintenance and support of the elderly member.

The DSWD as the lead agency will coordinate with the Department of Justice, Department of Health and the Department of Interior and Local Government, and shall promulgate the rules and regulations necessary to effectively implement the provisions in the proposed bill.

“It is the policy of the State to be cognizant of the debilitating financial resources of the elderly members of the family,” Syjuco said.

“We should take positive steps to care for the needs of the elderly members of society through programs that strengthen the solidarity of the family and actively promote the family’s holistic and total development,” he added.

The elderly—people who are 60 years old and above—now comprise the fastest growing population group in the country.

A recent study by the University of the Philippines Population Institute said the number of aging people in the Philippines will soar to 22 million by 2040 from 4.6 million in 2000. -Cynthia Balana, Philippine Daily Inquirer