Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
At a Glance
- ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo and Northern Samar 1st district Rep. Paul Daza have decided to join forces in order to achieve their common goal of protecting solo parents and their children, as well as holding “deadbeat” parents accountable.
ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo (left) and Northern Samar 1st district Rep. Paul Daza (MANILA BULLETIN, PPAB)
Who says congressmen from either side of the fence can’t work together?
ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo and Northern Samar 1st district Rep. Paul Daza decided to go just that to achieve their common goal of protecting solo parents and their children, as well as holding “deadbeat” parents accountable.
Tulfo is a deputy majority leader while Daza is a senior deputy minority leader. The former has filed in the current 19th Congress House Bill (HB) No. 8987, also known as “An Act Punishing the Willful Failure to Pay Paternal Child Support”; while the latter filed HB No. 44, also known as the “Child Support Bill”.
These measures are collectively referred to as the “Anti-Balasubas Bill”.
The two solons announced their joining of forces for this advocacy during a policy forum held by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) over the weekend.
“Dapat isipin ng mga magulang na obligasyon nila na maibigay ang pangangailangan ng kanilang mga anak kahit pa wala ito sa kanilang kustodiya (Parents must think about their obligation to provide for the needs of their children even if they are not in their custody),” Daza stated.
Under Daza’s HB No.44, a monthly support of not less than P6,000 per month will be mandated from parents who do not raise their children. The establishment of the National Child Support Program (NCSP) is also provided for.
Tulfo’s HB No. 8987, on the other hand, sets the financial support at 10 percent of an individual’s income, but not less than P6,000. The bill was co-authored by ACT-CIS Party-list Reps. Jocelyn Tulfo and Edvic Yap, Benguet lone district Rep. Eric Yap and Quezon City 2nd district Rep. Ralph Tulfo,.
A parent who fails to provide financial support may face imprisonment of up to 12 years and a fine ranging from P100,000 to P300,000.
“We are working on this and continually holding consultations to refine this law, and we want to ensure the protection of solo parents and their children,” said the deputy majority leader.
The two congressmen believe that the proposed Anti-Balasubas Bill will provide protection for children abandoned by their parents.
They also emphasized their commitment to consulting with various sectors to ensure their proposed law is well-crafted and would give proper protection for solo parents. — Ellson Quismorio
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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
