1. Reaction on: TITLE VIII – Support
After marriage comes the formation of a family and thus, the beginning of responsibility.
The next thing the couple would think about is having their own children which in reality should
require preparation from the former.
As Filipinos, we do not need a law telling us our responsibilities in our family for we are
taught in the beginning to always care for our love ones. However, when conflicts arise within
the family, Title VIII Support of the Family Code of the Philippines specifies the obligation to
support of every members of the family. Under articles 194 to 208 of the Family Code, support
has some basic principles of which are the following: (1) It is everything that is indispensable for
food, shelter, clothing, medical attendance, education and transportation in keeping with the
financial capacity of the family; (2) It is joint (whether the parents are married or not), based on
the proportion of the resources; (3) It is based on the needs of the child and the means of the
parents (there are no fixed percentages or rules on how much child support will be given); (4) It
is never final (as the situation changes, so, too will child support requirements); (5) It must be
demanded.
Problems have been occurring regarding ‘support’ in the Philippines. One of the most
common of these is the refusal of the father to give support to his child. In cases wherein single
mothers demand child support from the father and the latter refuses, the single mother can
take it into the court and sue him for child support. According to sources, not all mothers have
enough knowledge on this family code which is a big problem. In effect, their rights may not be
exercised and are usually abused. For this matter, a proper education is necessary.
Why does man need support? Answers may vary if asked to many people. But human
beings are created this way. No man is an island. A man cannot live alone. A man cannot survive
in his own. Thus, support is needed. Support, as to be defined, need not just providing the
physiological need but as well as the moral, emotional, sociological and spiritual.
Reaction on: TITLE IX – Parental Authority
If searched in the net, authority can be defined as the power to enforce laws, exact obedience,
command, determine or judge. When talking about power, it goes with the famous quotation from the
movie Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” This phrase reflects relationships such
as the president of a nation to its people, the Chief Executive Officer of a company to its employees, the
school head to its teachers and students, the parents to their children.

2. The power the parents have over their children is called parental authority. However, parental
authority doesn’t end there. It also covers the duties and rights of the parents to take care of the child’s
person and property as provided by Title IX Parental Authority of the Family Code of the Philippines. This
includes a responsibility to ensure that the child has shelter, food and clothes as well as a responsibility
for the child’s upbringing. It was also mentioned that parents have the right to represent the child
legally.
Current issues today involve how parents rule their child. But it seems it was the other way
around as children this generation were being commandant. Parents are being too permissive that they
allow their kids on what they want to do, thus, neglecting their role as disciplinarians. As a result, the
child will grow up getting stubbornly all he/she wants and thinking that what he/she does is always
right.
On the other hand, too strict parents can also affect negatively the behavior and attitude of a
child. Sometimes, this type of guardians may resort to implement punishment, such as spanking,
slapping or occasionally with the use of belt, slipper or stick. According to researches, children who are
being inflicted with punishment either physically or verbally, are more likely to become angry upon
reaching adulthood and may likewise discipline their own children the way their parents did to them
before. A study conducted also reported that these children who experienced this kind of maltreatment
may lead them to become more physically aggressive and eventually may bring them to turn to drugs,
crime and violence later on in their lives.
No one is perfect except God. But parents should try to consider these issues as a guide for
them to properly exercise their parental authority over their children. With the power God has
bestowed on them as parents, everyone should know that the responsibility attached to them is never a
burden as long as they are carrying it with their heart.