Through all the family cases that we have handled, we have come to accept, without discounting the contrary, the sad fact that bad blood exists between the opposing parties (e.g., estranged spouses in annulment/separation/property cases, siblings and relatives in estate proceedings). In particular, with respect to custody-support cases over children, it is easily understandable that custody is one of the more contested issues. However, the issue on child support should not be as complicated.
It should not be as complicated, but reality makes it so. Articles 195 and 196 of the Family Code enumerate the persons who are under obligation to support each other:
- (1) The spouses;
- (2) Legitimate ascendants and descendants;
- (3) Parents and their legitimate children and the legitimate and illegitimate children of the latter;
- (4) Parents and their illegitimate children and the legitimate and illegitimate children of the latter;
- (5) Legitimate brothers and sisters, whether of full or half-blood; and
- (6) Brothers and sisters not legitimately related, whether of the full or half-blood, except only when the need for support of the brother or sister, being of age, is due to a cause imputable to the claimant’s fault or negligence.
On the other hand, the amount of support should be in proportion to the resources or means of the giver and the necessities of the recipient, pursuant to Articles 194, 201 and 202 of the Family Code:
Art. 194. Support comprises everything indispensable for sustenance, dwelling, clothing, medical attendance, education and transportation, in keeping with the financial capacity of the family.
The education of the person entitled to be supported referred to in the preceding paragraph shall include his schooling or training for some profession, trade or vocation, even beyond the age of majority. Transportation shall include expenses in going to and from school, or to and from place of work.
Art. 201. The amount of support, in the cases referred to in Articles 195 and 196, shall be in proportion to the resources or means of the giver and to the necessities of the recipient.
Art. 202. Support in the cases referred to in the preceding article shall be reduced or increased proportionately, according to the reduction or increase of the necessities of the recipient and the resources or means of the person obliged to furnish the same.
If you are a parent, it is safe to assume that you would want the best for your child and you wouldn’t hesitate to provide adequate support. However, it’s unfortunate that when it comes to support for the common children (whether legitimate or illegitimate), so many fathers still fail (or worse, simply refuse) to provide adequate support. Whatever the reason is, and regardless of whether or not these reasons are correct, the problem became pervasive, so much so that Congress saw it fit to “criminalize” (only against fathers) the withholding of support in certain instances. Not everyone knows that this is covered under Republic Act No. 9262, otherwise known as the “Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004“. [See Laws on Child Support in the Philippines]
Not everyone also knows that R.A. 9262 provides for criminal sactions or penalties for failure to provide support or withholding custody, in certain cases. Well, now you know.
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Hi Good morning. Ako po si Jeania Namol Ako po ay isang single mother halos 7 years na. Matagal na akong nanghihingi ng financial support sa tatay ng anak ko ngunit di nia pinapansin ang mga message ko sa facebook. Ngayon may balak kameng mg file ng demanda under RA9262. Pwede po bang mang yari na mag file din sila ng request na mahiram ung bata kahit 7 years old palang siya? Manghihingi sana po ako ng advice sa issue ko na to. Sana matulungan niyo po ako. Natatakot ako kasi ipahiram ang anak ko dahil baka bigla nilang iatago samin ang anak ko.
Gud pm po atty.i have a problem about my situation now ..i have a live in partner for 7yrs he leave us with our 2kids at nag pakasaya sa barkada gabi2x .Iniwan lang kami ng 1,000pesos money and when we meet in the city hall (igdd) para pag usapan ang supporta nang mga bata he just told me that he can only afford to give 4,000 a month for our 2 kids which is he is a seaman and his monthly salary is 60,000pesos.
Good Day!
I hope my question enlighten me, I am married for 11 years with 1 son. we’ve got separated last year december 30,2017 for a lot of reasons that she had made. She said that she just wanted to find her self,have some peace even though i know that she has someone and she’s just using those words to change the real story behind the reason she want to go away from me. I have lost of my job and move away fot the pain that i have received from her. i have missed to send money for my son and my son lives on my wifes side since that i dont have a job and a money to send to my son for 3 months not things goes totally different to the reality she’s saying that she will be gonna file a case against me for abandoning my son. I know that she wanted only to harrass me and crush me i have mo plans to go back to her for so many reasons happen due to her lies for the love that i gave to her. all i wanted it to know what is the right way to do to her to not bother me and answer her for anything that she do. she has a lot of dirty things done to me and i know that if she do that all of her lies will comes out.
Hello im filipina whos married to an Australian and we have 2 kids which is 4 and almost 2yrs old living with me here in the Philippines and he have a business in Australia and Singapore. My problem is everytime we are fighting he is threatening me not to give support and sometimes i need to beg for it. Pls help me po.
Magandang Umaga po Attorney!
Ako po ay may tatlong anak at hiwalay na po kmi ng aking asawa. Nasa ibang bansa na po cya ilang taon na din po at di po siya nagpapadala at kaylangan pa lagi na ipaalala sa knya. Hindi po ako ngsasabi kung magkno ang dapat nya ibigay pero di po sapat ang bigay nya. Humingi po ako pag may malaking bayaran ang mga anak ko at di kaya na ng aking ina.. Sa ngayon po wala po akong trabaho pero nag aapplay pa ibang bansa din po dahil po may edad na din po ako at di na matanggap dito. Nung may trabaho po ako nun di ako humungi sa knya at kung magkano lang po ang iabot nya sa akin. Pero sa ngayon po kasi lumalaki na po ang mga bata at lumalaki narin po ang gastusin nila.. Ano po ang dapat ko gawin sir? at paano po attorney?
Sana po matugunan nyo ang aking problema at maraming salamat po.
good day atty.
me and my girlfriend separated pero may anak kami, 1 yr and 6 mos old. the problem is pinalayas nya ako sa bahay and lagi niya ako ginugulpi. di ako bumibitaw kasi mas iniisip ko yung mga gastusin at mga gawain sa bahay. lagi siya nainom pagweekends, kadalasan nakakasama niya ibat ibang lalaki pero at kung minsan umaga na kung umuwi. hindi nadin kami nagtatabi sa room ilang buwan na dahi sinasabe niya at sakin at alam kong may boyfriend siya. at lagi nya ako pinapahiya sa ibang tao. naguusap kami na gusto na nya talaga akong umalis dun sa bahay para maging masaya daw siya at maitira na daw niya yung bf nya dun. masyado akong mabaet. ginulpi pa niya muna ako bago ako umalis sa bahay. simula nung umalis ako every cutoff nagbibigay ako ng gatas at diaper at hindi pera ang binibigay ko kasi baka nga ipang inom lang niya. my question is nagmessage kasi siya sakin na kakasuhan daw nya ako pag hindi daw ako nagsupport ng financial sa bata. parang inantay lang nya talaga na umalis ako dun at nung hindi nakuntento sa gatas at diaper gusto niya kalahati ng sweldo ko mapunta sakanya. which is simula nung umalis ako dun naghanap ako ng tirahan ko na iba at syempre mas lumaki gastos ko. pero mas nahihirapan ako kung kalahati ng sweldo ko kukunin nya at gusto nya nalang ako kasuhan na even in the first place wala sa akin ang problema. maraming salamat po atty.
By way of general information, there is no hard and fast rule as to the amount of support. As noted in the article: “the amount of support should be in proportion to the resources or means of the giver and the necessities of the recipient.”
Hi, what if hindi nakapangalan sa kanya? Walang acknowledgement of paternity? Tapos di naman sya nagsusustento? Pwede ko pa rin ba kasuhan yung father?
In general, paternity is a matter of proof. You might want to read this: https://pnl-law.com/blog/rule-on-dna-evidence-full-text/
Dear PAO,
Isa po akong single parent at may dalawng anak .. hiwalay na po ako sa ama nila ng 4years . Pero sustentado po sila .. Ngayon po may naging boyfriend po ako ng 8months hiwalay na po kami ngayon at buntis po ako sa kanyang 3 buwan .. Sinabi ko po sa knya kya lng hindi po nya matanggap .. Ano po kyang pwedeng gawin pra po masuporthn nya ang bata.
Consider this:
Any woman looking for children and child support.
A parent in prison finds it almost impossible to make enough to pay child support.
The cost of housing prisoners is likely more than any child support payment from a prisoner.
With equal opportunity employment will come equal opportunity child rearing.
More men may get child custody.
Women are also required to pay child support to primary custodial parent.
Women also go to prison for failure to pay child support.
Until you apply debtors prison law.
ACLU got a women out of jail for failure to pay child support under debtor’s prison law.
Look it up at ACLU web site if you like.
Same law should apply to men.
If government cracks down on women on welfare, it will just require more burden
of financial support for custody on women as it does on men.
Soon they will have better birth control medication for men which will make it totally his decision if
he wants to risk having children or eventually child support.
They are working on a men’s birth control that only takes one injection per month.
No accidents by women looking for child support then.
In child rearing and support consider “if you abuse it, you loose it” could easily come into the equation.
Know how much harder it is to get child support from some other countries?
International law by UN says people have the right to leave a country.
U.S. law for a citizen renouncing citizenship? Believe they are required to leave the country….
Hello Atty,
Good day po, ako po ay si margs hihingi po ako sayo nang advice.., about po to sa anak nang fiance ko.. may anak po sya na babae 8 years odl napo ngayon..nag file kasi nang abandone ina nang bata 2012.. nalaman nalng nang fiance ko.. 2014 na nag file nang case yung babae kasi hnd daw sya nagpadala wala namn sya work that time ate nya lang ang sumosuporta sa kanya sa manila…kasi nag process po sya nang mga papers to abroad..then 2012 buntis pala yung mama nang bata sa ibang lalake habang nasa manila yong fiance ko hnd po sila kasal..naka alis na nang bansa ang fiance ko 2013 kunti lang sahod nya doon as a casher nang mall…sa UEA. sa nagyon dalawa na ang anak nang babae sa ibang lalake . willing nman po sya magpa dala nang sostento.. kaya lang tinatago sa kanya ang bata at de nya alam kung san ipapadala yung pera…that time sa ngayon nakausap nya ang ka live in nang ex nya at don lang daw ipapadala nang fiance ko sa ka live in nang mama nang bata kasi nasa kanya ang bata..at ngayon may konting problima lang ang fiance ko financially na late ang padala na sostento para sa bata bina blackmail nya uli ang fiance ko na itutuloy yung kaso na abandone ano po ang dapat naming gawin ikakasal napo kami nextyear..sana po matulongan nyo kami..maraming salamat God bless you..