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BY GORDON Q. GUILLERGAN
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Thursday, July 6, 2017
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“I think the greatest challenge between child and parent is communication.” – Sean Covey
MONEY – it is either a source of joy or misery.
Many say it is their source of joy. For some it is a way to express compassion and charity while others, love.
Some children born to broken marriages find this to be a source of misery. Why, you ask? Well, for starters the estranged father seems to have forgotten that somewhere in this world there exists a child he has forgotten to support.
Our law defines support as everything indispensable for sustenance, dwelling, clothing, medical attendance, education and transportation, in keeping with the financial capacity of the family. (Article 194 of the Family Code of the Philippines)
Support is commonly perceived to be from parents to children but under our law, the following persons are obliged to support each other: spouses, legitimate ascendants and descendants, parents and their legitimate children and the legitimate and illegitimate children of the latter, parents and their illegitimate children and the legitimate and illegitimate children of the latter, and legitimate brothers and sisters, whether of full or half-blood. (Article 105 of the Family Code of the Philippines)
Support shall be demandable from the time the recipient needs it for maintenance. (Article 203 of the Family Code of the Philippines)
The law is silent as to the exact amount of support that should be given. The amount of support is never fixed. Once given, the amount of support shall be reduced or increased proportionally depending on the two factors – the resources or financial capacity of the family or the giver, and the indispensable needs of the recipient.
But for how long should support be given?
Under Philippine laws, the obligation to give support shall continue until the child in question reaches the age of majority, which is 18 years old. (Section 3 of Republic Act 6809)
Support for education of the one being supported may continue even beyond the age of majority. (Article 194 of the Family Code of the Philippines)
The education of the person entitled to be supported will also 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.
We must understand that children from broken marriages should never be victims or suffer from the bad decisions their parents made. And the failure to support estranged children, either financially, psychologically or emotionally, shall be the cherry on top of many layered bad choices made.
I do know if we can ever undo the past but one thing is certain – there is a future that we can do a good job on.
The desire to know and be with your child should be important over anything else. Money and material thing get lost easily but the joy of seeing your child grow up to be the person you have always prayed for to be – priceless. (gordon.qg@hotmail.com/PN)
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