Deadbeat fathers House bill gaining traction

The Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives is evaluating the necessary funding to set up a Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) office tasked with overseeing the enforcement of House Bill 8987, also known as the “Act Ensuring Child Support and Penalizing Parental Refusal or Neglect Thereof.”

The bill, which has already been approved by the Committee on Welfare of Children, aims to impose penalties on fathers who fail to provide child support, with prison sentences of up to six years for offenders.

Furthermore, it mandates that the amount of child support a father must provide will be determined based on the child’s needs, with the DSWD working in collaboration with the National Economic and Development Authority to set the appropriate amount.

“We really need this kind of proposed law. Fathers who refuse to support their children must be punished, especially those who abandoned their families,” House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Erwin Tulfo, one of the bill’s authors, said Sunday.

Tulfo also expressed his gratitude to his colleagues in Congress for advancing the measure, adding, “We thank our colleagues in Congress for pushing this proposed measure but we hope for more pressure to it to finally hold these heartless fathers who abandoned their children.”

In 2023, a World Health Organization survey revealed that 15 million single parents in the Philippines, 95 percent of whom are women, face significant financial hardships.

The move highlights the urgent need for legislation that supports women, particularly single mothers who are raising their children on their own.

With the propose law, single mothers will no longer need to beg or plead for financial assistance from their ex-partners or the fathers of their children.

Research further underscores the emotional and financial strain single parents endure.

According to the American Psychological Association, managing childcare, employment, finances and household responsibilities can overwhelm single parents, particularly after a breakup when financial resources often decrease.

The emotional and psychological toll on single-parent families can be profound, adding to the many challenges they already face.

In August 2023, Rep. Erwin T. Tulfo, along with fellow lawmakers Jocelyn Tulfo, Edvic Yap, Eric Yap and Ralph Tulfo, filed the HB 8987, which seeks to penalize fathers who willfully fail to provide child support.

The bill proposes penalties including prison sentences ranging from six to 12 years, and fines between P100,000 and P300,000.

Additionally, the bill specifies that paternal child support should be at least 10 percent of a father’s salary, with a minimum amount set at P6,000 per month, or P200 per day.