One broken family

By Joyce Raboca Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 00:51:00 12/18/2008 Filed Under: Social Issues, Charter change, Graft & Corruption

Jose Rizal wrote a chapter in ?El Filibusterismo? ironically titled ?Maligayang Pasko? [Merry Christmas]. Basically, it narrates the fate of the Family De Dios, who had something other than a merry Christmas. The daughter, Juli, became a maid; the grandfather, Tata Selo, went mute; and the father, Tales, was kidnapped by rebels. All this while the Spanish priests went merrymaking over the ill fortune of this family. While I do love this lesson in Filipino, I can?t help but feel sadness, even bitter resentment, over how our fate has never really changed from that time. We Filipinos are still a broken family, especially this Christmas. Before I continue, let me first give a Merry Christmas greeting to every uncorrupted politician, tooth fairy, reindeer, principled Philippine president, and elf out there. As a teenager in her senior year in high school, I have definitely felt the Christmas spirit from such characters. As I was scanning the news with my dad the other day, I read about an ?uncorrupted politician? whose case was dismissed because he was not put on trial early enough. They used this fancy label for it too: ?clear transgression of the constitutional rights of the accused.? I was a little confused and asked my lawyer father to explain it to me. I had to digest his answer for a while and, being nave, I had to ask for some clarification. ?So the court said that because the trial took too long to process, he can go free?? asked my father. ?Does that mean all the thousands of cases that have been sitting around with the Sandiganbayan for more than five years are being dismissed as well?? Apparently not. Just when I thought it was never too late for justice to be served (especially in the Philippines, where the justice system is always 10 years too late), connections once again overpowered justice. But the wrongly accused and impatient defendants have to be friends with the ombudsman first, I believe. So thanks to the uncorrupted politician, I have finally realized what Christmas is all about. The tooth fairy has also decided to visit and spread the Christmas spirit in the form of plundered money. Hooray for those who put morality under their pillow! In recent weeks, another former top official decided that lying, stealing and making a run for it should merit him freedom and a gift. Perhaps he wants his teeth back? But teeth cannot be grown back once you?ve put them under your pillow, and toothless is the man whose honesty has been bought by hundreds of millions of pesos from the tooth fairy. I will definitely bear that in mind this season. Maybe the tooth fairy will come and leave me a few billion pesos in exchange for my honesty as well. Our painfully principled President has decided to steal Santa?s reindeer this year and ride him across the country. I believe his name is Cha-cha. Although she says that the reindeer is bringing Santa?s big bag of solutions to the country?s problems, I now have doubts that Cha-cha the reindeer ever belonged to Santa. After all, the song never mentions a reindeer named Cha-cha. Hmm ? that seems a little bit suspicious. I just hope she won?t be riding that reindeer in 2010. That would be a heavier weight on all of us (and not just on Cha-cha) come next Christmas. As for my own life, college is around the corner, and I?m waiting for Santa?s elf to come ask me what I want for Christmas. Other than a box of transparent candies to send to the government, I would like to get into the top two colleges to which I applied for admission. January 2009 is acceptance month and I am hoping at least that Christmas stays bearable ? maybe even enjoyable ? until the results of the exams come out. And when those results come out, I hope I won?t come down with a case of ?senioritis,? a sickness common to high school seniors after being accepted to a college. The symptoms include lazing around, slacking off, and developing grade apathy. That would not be a good thing, especially since our parents are Santas (shh, don?t tell them I know).

As for all of you, be happy with the shallow merry-making for now, because we Filipinos are not going to find merriment in having Spanish priests running the country this Christmas. Maybe next year we won?t lose our voice amid the injustices, like Tata Selo in ?El Filibusterismo.? Like Juli and Tales, maybe next year we will be free from injustice and the craziness of our politics. Maybe next Christmas, the reindeer, the elf, and the tooth fairy will bring nationalism, honesty and justice back to our country. In the meantime, Merry Christmas! Joyce Raboca, 17, is a senior high school student at Assumption College.

Priest notes increasing broken families with growing migration

February 21, 2008 5:30pm A Korea-based Filipino priest has observed an increasing trend in the number of broken Filipino families as a consequence of the steadily growing overseas migration of workers. Fr. Glenn Ginanni Jaron, chaplain for overseas Filipino workers in Seoul, said the trend presents a challenging task in providing for pastoral needs of OFWs. In a report posted at the website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Fr. Jaron of the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP) said he has observed many OFWs staying as livein partners in Korea. Some of them are married and have families in the Philippines. These situations, Fr. Jaron said, poses a greater challenge to guide and help the persons involved spiritually and pastorally. The Filipino priest has been a chaplain for nine years. He has been a spiritual guide, councilor, and a kind of liaison officer for OFWs in order to help address various issues and problems including marriage related matters that affect Filipino migrants in Korea, CBCP News report said. Fr. Jaron also attributed the rise in broken families to separation from loved ones, and the pressures of work in a foreign land. Because of this, the priest suggested that OFWs should not stay longer than three to five years working abroad, and to invest their savings wisely in order to keep them with their families. There are more than 46,000 Filipinos working in Korea.

Fr. Jaron said he regularly conducts Bible study classes, formation trainings, personality growth seminars, counseling programs, and other skill enhancement workshops to strengthen the faith of Filipinos working abroad. - GMANews.TV

Filipino Family Values: A Source of Dysfunction

Posted by ChinoF on May 28, 2010 in Culture, Lifestyle, Society | 123 comments We often wonder what went wrong with the Philippines. Why is it that Filipinos, even if they know whats wrong, continue to do it, even willingly? They go ahead and hit on other women or men even when already married, and fall into petty crime even though they know the jails are overcrowded. Even on things not related to crime, Filipinos fail to practice good common sense and would rather do what they feel. They still do stupid things like max out their credit cards and feed the whole barangay during a fiesta on borrowed money. Then they complain that life is hard. But why do they still do it? Id like to venture a daring proposition: its all because of our Filipino family values. They are flawed and cause us to take the path of self-destruction. I will thus make the case that some of our Filipino family values are among the cultural baggage that we need to dispose of. History Our cultural values can be traced to the teachings of the friars or prayles of Spanish occupation, who exercised an iron hand over Filipino values then. Whatever they demanded, the people do, or else the people go to hell. But whatever they demanded was not always for the benefit of the people.

We know today how the friars of those days bedded young and pretty maidens (A Cojuangco ancestor helped smuggle these women into friars private quarters), giving rise to the many mestizo people among our population. But they also taught people that they should obey authority even if the authority abuses them. Jose Rizal attacked the teachings of the friars in his books. He knew that the values taught by the friars were meant to contain the Filipino people, preventing development of intelligence and reasoning, keeping the Filipinos in slavery. The friars basically caused the Filipinos to be dependent on them. Thing is, if the friars are now gone, why are people today still bending to their manipulation? Why are they sticking to the values that the friars taught their clueless ancestors? The problem is now with the people themselves, not the friars anymore. They have forgotten that the friars have left. People are still taught to conform, not just because it is fashionable, but because conformity has been seen as a sign of morality. Somehow, Filipinos have the sense that being in is a sign that you are a good and compliant citizen, and

alternative styles or lifestyles are immoral. They have been deceived that conformity to society is a sign that you are a moral person. Authoritarianism BongV had an excellent exploration of the subject in his article stating that our dominantly authoritarian parenting style tends to produce wimpy children. Now, I felt that there was much more I could add. The basic Filipino family values are based on conformity, and often it is conformity to anything. If you differ, you are considered a disobedient whelp, or sutil. You must conform to the will of your parents, such as dictating the college course you should take; so it you dont follow, you are sutil. But not only conformity to supposed values is a problem. Even conformity to culture. Not only will Filipino parents encourage, or even force, their children to obey others blindly. They may even encourage children to follow fads. For example, if they see their children as different from their peers, such as not watching Wowowee like classmates do, for preferring manga art to basketball, the parents will call their children sutil, stupid, disobedient, walang pakisama, selfish, or what abusive word you can think of for children. Parents also do this probably to avoid their children bringing them shame. They may even dictate or criticize the tastes of their children (this is what you should like, rock music is from the devil!), and thus take away any notion of responsible individual freedom.

Even bad habits are sometimes passed through authoritarian means. Some ridiculous fathers will even chide their sons for having only one girlfriend, and will goad them to try and gather a harem. Not only will the fathers boast to fellows about their harems; they may even boast about their sons harems. But even without authoritarian means, there are the comments and payo(advice) of the parents that tell a child to conform and be like everyone else, and that being different, even if it is right, can lead to shame or hiya. Sometimes, these values are used in a manipulative way. I remember watching an old documentary on child labor in the Philippines. A man who was interviewed, probably the childrens employer, was asked whether he thought child labor was wrong (the labor was unloading sacks of cement off ships). He just kept on saying, (ander sila ng mga magulang nila) they are under their parents. Authoritarianism was used to maintain child labor. Its in scenarios like these that children need to learn the value of assertiveness that they have the right to say no. Consumerism One of the most common payo (advice) that parents would give children is, study well, get a good job and a high salary, so you can buy good appliances and toys for your children. This seems like a good, harmless adage. But there is a lot of harm in this payo. Firstly, this reveals the highly consumerist nature of our culture. Filipino families continue to have the dream of upward mobility. But they dont just want to manifest it; they want to show it. They want to have the latest gadgets, the coolest designer clothes, know the latest songs, watch the latest shows or even travel all over. Same as described above; not being in can be seen as a moral lapse. Also, having all the consumer stuff is seen as a sign that you have worked hard for it. So when you dont h ave the consumer stuff, you are seen as not hardworking and morally lapsed. Thus, the people who work hard and dont

spend so much on consumer goods are wrongly accused of being lazy or having no good dreams in life (Thats how some Filipinos see the industrious Filipino-Chinese!).

In addition, the above payo also teaches children to be employees and not pursue higher dreams of being an entrepreneur or self-employed person. Parents are teaching their children to be subservient or submissive, and discourage them from challenging the more likely fomenters of stagnancy in the country like our local elite. Its as if the values taught them were meant to prevent them from growing and doing something good. Let me quote something from another of my articles that demonstrates consumerism: For example, imagine yourself as a working class Filipino, eldest among the children, with a job and salary. You arrive home after work, and you hear the screams of where are our French fries! from your siblings. Your parents, who are already senior citizens, will demand, when are you going to bring us to Boracay? When you reply that your salary is too low for that, theyll scream, then go abroad! Youll go abroad, you earn enough to send them to Boracay, but your family goes there without you. Lugi ka. Add to that the hassle of going abroad, adjusting to another country and culture, separation from your own, etc. Families are forced by this pursuit to live beyond their means. When the parents or children come home to their families, their symbol of love is consumer goods. But when hospital bills come, or the credit card bill collector comes knocking, somebody gets troubled, and family tensions grow. Families would like to say that we will bond together through hardship, but the reality is that families in hardship are more likely to be dysfunctional. The oligarchs or big businesses like consumerist families since these families consume their products. The 1950s depictions of happy families in media were associated with consumer goods. Most of the children who grew up during this time are todays parents or grandparents, and are likely the ones goading their children or grandchildren to bring in consumer goods from abroad. Thus, our families are drawn into consumerism and further into poverty. Teaching the Wrong Thing Sometimes, a child would tell their parents about a friend who invites them to cheat at something, such as get a school paper from Recto. To their surprise, the parent says go ahead. But isnt cheating wrong? asks the child. The parent, in their usual know-it-all swagger, says, No, that is how you get ahead in life. Perhaps an additional reinforcement from the parent would do it: Look, people get rich by cheating. And people wonder why corruption is so rampant in the country! Another faux pas for parents is when they forbid the children from something, but they do it themselves. They tell their children not to smoke or get drunk; but they do it themselves. When the children happen upon them one day and complain about the parents example, the parents just throw their weight around and shout at or even hurt their children to be silent. Another dysfunctional family in the making.

There is also the use of tall tales to confuse children. For example Benign0 would recall the grandmother who told her granddaughter about how humans are born, galing ka sa pwet (Click on link to read full readers letter to

Getrealphilippines.com). Like the tales of St. Peter playing bowling to explain thunder or may duende sa bakuran (dwarf in the backyard) to keep them from being naughty, parents confound their children about the birds and the bees. Sex education is sadly an area where Filipino families are lacking, because of absurd conservatism. And thus, our population grows like ants. Nepotism is the obvious fault of our local Filipino families. When you have a business and are looking for the right person for the job, Filipinos often look within the family. Or even family friends. Its not a fault by itself to consider someone because of familiarity or connections; but it is when you choose that person or service because of those connections and not because of competence. A Testimony Just to show Im not the only one thinking this way, I decided to use the story of commenter Ben, who described his experience with families of differing values, to demonstrate my point. He commented in response to BongVs posting of an episode of Anthony Bourdains No Reservations which featured Filipino cuisine, and upon seeing a Filipino family in the episode that seemed to show these issues in parenting: When I came to the Philippines and met with my family from both sides, I saw a big difference comparing where the Filipino culture is more dominant. On my mums side, family times and Meal times are a lot more noisy and discussions are very frequent. This was because of the fact that my cousins on that side are well educated and sort of Westernized. They dont conform to much of the Filipino society and they dont watch local channels. This made them easier for me and my brother (who grew up in Aus) to associate with considering there was no tradition in demanding respect from older people (po and opo and mano mano and such) and we felt more comfortable because it just felt like we were talking to just the same old group back home in Aus. On the other hand, my dads side, which has more of an aristocratic vibe, it was very quiet, comfortable and sometimes they were unbearable to be around. Id hear the older people get pissed at kids who forgot to say opo, Id be required to make mano to everyone and the worst thing about it, meal times were so fricken QUIET! As in no talking And this was what I saw in Augustos family. This is the Filipinized family. Their past time is watching Eat bulaga or Wowowee or Game KNB or MTB (back in the day). They made kids dance the ocho ocho and perform for the elderly and some kids hated it and some loved it. It was so uncomfortable. What I noticed too is that on my dads side, people are so easily offended. And I guess thats one of the reasons why people were so quiet during meal times they were afraid to offend someone on the dining table. When it comes to small family gathering like in the scene in Augustos familys house, another key point would be that there was a foreigner amongst them. Filos hate to make themselves look bad, esp the older generations. If the kids make them look bad in front of foreigner, they get banished to say the leas t. Thanks, Ben, for sharing this. And Im sure youre not alone. A lot of Filipino families are like his dads side cold, anti-intellectual, loveless and materialistic. It shows the things that are wrong with the Filipino family. Dick Gordon said the country is dysfunctional. Its probably because the Filipino family is dysfunctional.

Its a good thing that the side of Bens mom shows better, proper family values. This is what todays Filipino family should emulate. The Filipino Family a Destructive Institution Way I see it, our family values were really designed to make Filipino families broken and dysfunctional. The Filipino family was sabotaged from within. Whatever the friars or other influencers planted in the Filipinos, the Filipinos never bothered to remove. Even if told that these were tools of deception, they still clung to these false values! The Filipino familys intrinsic intolerance against nonconformity causes people to not reach their true potential in this country. Thus, they seek it elsewhere. This is probably one reason why droves of people go abroad; to be free from this inhibiting culture. The Filipino family is clearly one of the tools to perpetuate a defective culture onto its people. The way the people vote, the rampant corrupti on, and peoples bad behavior and bad attitudes toward life they reflect the state of the family. The arresting of the family has resulted in the arresting of the nation. My sociology teacher said that the most violent institution in human society during peacetime is the family. This is because of domestic violence, spanking, and all that. But in another sense, in the Philippines, the family may be the most destructive institution, because all the dysfunctions of authoritarianism, nepotism, slave-mindedness, backward traditionalism and even corrupt practices stem from it.

You know, if Filipino society wants to weed out corruption, the government is the last place to start. The right place is the family, where it starts. We clearly need to reform traditional family values. But how do we make these reforms? Ill be sticking my neck out when I say that children can go against their parents. But there are parents who can certainly change their parenting style and teach their children to be more assertive. BongVs article on assertiveness has all the material to help teach children the right values. We must remind people that the friars are gone and should not be revived. Catholic priests and authorities, highly conservative religious and other parties cannot dictate your personal values. A person must now evaluate morality based on not one religion or school of thought, but on universal principles of ethics and a study of each and every belief system. We also have to draw from other countries on values. Now why should we draw from other countries? Isnt that un Filipino, some may accuse? No. In fact, it may be better for our country. We need to acknowledge that the Philippines does not have a monopoly on what is right or wrong. Heck, our Christian values come from abroad. We need more anti-traditionalism and liberalism. We need to shake off the chains of bad family values and restore the Filipino family in this 21st century.

http://antipinoy.com/failed-family-values/

Is Filipino Parenting Style Prone to Produce Wimps?

Posted by BongV on Mar 7, 2010 in Culture | 42 comments I was moonlighting (nag-sideline) this weekend and had an interesting conversation on parenting and marital life. One of the parties was complaining that their spouse was not too involved with childrens activities. The child had just established her dominance of a sport in her school, wanted one of the parties to come and see her play and the standard reply was, I have to wake up early tomorrow for work. It can be such a big letdown to a child. You know, someone who you think the world of, who you adore, has no time for you and does not even make the effort to find the time for a child. And so went a laundry list of

litanies including upbringing. I had a eureka question speaking of parenting and upbringing, what style of parenting do most Pinoys have and could it be related to the type of citizens that profligate in these 7,100 islands of ours. Hmm first stop read up on parenting styles. Heres what I found about parenting styles in about.com Developmental psychologists have long been interested in how parents impact child development. However, finding actual causeand-effect links between specific actions of parents and later behavior of children is very difficult. Some children raised in dramatically different environments can later grow up to have remarkably similar personalities. Conversely, children who share a home and are raised in the same environment can grow up to have astonishingly different personalities than one another. Despite these challenges, researchers have uncovered convincing links between parenting styles and the effects these styles have on children. During the early 1960s, psychologist Diana Baumrind conducted a study on more than 100 preschool-age children (Baumrind, 1967). Using naturalistic observation, parental interviews and other research methods, she identified four important dimensions of parenting:

Disciplinary strategies Warmth and nurturance

Communication styles Expectations of maturity and control Based on these dimensions, Baumrind suggested that the majority of parents display one of three different parenting styles. Further research by also suggested the addition of a fourth parenting style (Maccoby & Martin, 1983).

The Four Parenting Styles

1. Authoritarian Parenting In this style of parenting, children are expected to follow the strict rules established by the parents. Failure to follow such rules usually results in punishment. Authoritarian parents fail to explain the reasoning behind these rules. If asked to explain, the parent might simply reply, Because I said so. These parents have high demands, but are not responsive to their children. According to Baumrind, these parents are obedience- and status-oriented, and expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation (1991). 2. Authoritative Parenting Like authoritarian parents, those with an authoritative parenting style establish rules and guidelines that their children are expected to follow. However, this parenting style is much more democratic. Authoritative parents are responsive to their children and willing to listen to questions. When children fail to meet the expectations, these parents are more nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing. Baumrind suggests that these parents monitor and impart clear standards for their childrens conduct. They are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Their disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive. They want their children to be assertive as well as socially responsible, and self-regulated as well as cooperative (1991). 3. Permissive Parenting Permissive parents, sometimes referred to as indulgent parents, have very few demands to make of their children. These parents rarely discipline their children because they have relatively low expectations of maturity and self-control. According to Baumrind, permissive parents are more responsive than they are demanding. They are nontraditional and lenient, do not require mature behavior, allow considerable self-regulation, and avoid confrontation (1991). Permissive parents are generally nurturing and communicative with their children, often taking on the status of a friend more than that of a parent. 4. Uninvolved Parenting An uninvolved parenting style is characterized by few demands, low responsiveness and little communication. While these parents fulfill the childs basic needs, they are generally detached from their childs life. In extreme cases, these parents may even reject or neglect the needs of their children.

The Impact of Parenting Styles

What effect do these parenting styles have on child development outcomes? In addition to Baumrinds initial stu dy of 100 preschool children, researchers have conducted numerous other studies than have led to a number of conclusions about the impact of parenting styles on children.

Authoritarian parenting styles generally lead to children who are obedient and proficient, but they rank lower in happiness, social competence and self-esteem. Authoritive parenting styles tend to result in children who are happy, capable and successful (Maccoby, 1992). Permissive parenting often results in children who rank low in happiness and self-regulation. These children are more likely to experience problems with authority and tend to perform poorly in school. Uninvolved parenting styles rank lowest across all life domains. These children tend to lack self-control, have low self-esteem and are less competent than their peers.

Why Do Parenting Styles Differ?

After learning about the impact of parenting styles on child development, you may wonder why all parents simply dont utilize an authoritative parenting style. After all, this parenting style is the most likely to produce happy, confident and capable children. What are some reasons why parenting styles might vary? Some potential causes of these differences include culture, personality, family size, parental background, socioeconomic status, educational level and religion. Of course, the parenting styles of individual parents also combine to create a unique blend in each and every family. For example, the mother may display an authoritative style while the father favors a more permissive approach. In order to create a cohesive approach to parenting, it is essential that parents learn to cooperate as they combine various elements of their unique parenting styles. With these in mind, I had this sort of video instant replay playing out in my mind about what parenting style is dominant among Filipinos? So, I tried to recall how I was raised as well as those of all the people I have come to know friends, family, coworkers. A typical admonition when with a toddler (a child in the development state) is

you better follow or your ass will be whooped, literally; never question the elders (even if their logic and reasoning is faulty) wag kang walang respeto; its my way or the highway, Im the one paying the bills The long and short of it is that most Pinoys are raised in an authoritarian environment for short, the introduction to authoritarianism starts within the Filipino family. Based on my empirical observations and unscientific survey LOL lots of blue collar families have this idea that the best parenting style is the Kastila style or in Cebuano kinatsila. What exactly is the kastila style of parenting? The kastila style of parenting (as described by old-times) are accentuated by any of the following behaviors:

Do not talk unless I say so. Do not question my authority. You are my property and I can do with you as you please. Spare the whip and spoil the child (huwes de cochillo). Do not bring shame to this family, family comes first, persons are subordinate to the greater good as defined by the patriarch/matriarch. This is an obvious vestige of the feudal colonial days which I believe should die a hard death. We have so become accustomed to these behaviors that to us Pinoys, this abnormality is the norm. We condition our children to become good authoritarian subjects. No wonder when they grow up to become citizens -they are obedient and proficient (in whatever dysfunction was embedded in their psyche), but they rank lower in happiness, social competence and self-esteem. And due to the lack of an understanding of democracy at home and in the school we have citizens who are prone to become conformists, get easily swayed by the bandwagon like sheeps being herded into a slaughterhouse. And those who have been hit real hard would rather be the dictator, than the dictated. Imagine these people growing up polarized into two camps dictator and the dictated on.

What chances does democracy have when the basic social fabric woven by the family does not have a clue about the engine which drives democracy free, thinking, sovereign let me emphasize..individuals. My personal take is this if we are to become a truly democratic nation we better start teaching it at home and use a more appropriate parenting style. Democracy begins at home.

http://antipinoy.com/is-filipino-parenting-style-prone-to-produce-wimps/

Broken FamilyAlissa Nerriel Balderrama http://alaissabalderrama.blogspot.com/2011/10/broken-family-defiination-paragraph.html Definition Paragraph Family is the basic unit of society. This is the most essential component of a country. A home is where a family lives. It may be alternated to the word house but a house is more appropriately referring to the material structure, whereas home refers to the intangible things that bind together the family members. It is the immeasurable love and care that keeps together the mother, father and their children. However, no matter how ideal a family in the terms of their relationship, there are still hardships and misunderstandings that will come along the way. It is just part of any relationship anyway. But, the sad part is when one of the family members gave up and the others have no choice but to accept and let go. Thus, the family starts to be broken. A family can consist of a father, mother, and children. They all live in the same house until they are old enough to leave. Broken Family is a family with children involved where parents are legally or illegally separated whose parents have decided to go and live their lives separately for several reasons/problems. A broken family is one where the parents (mother and father) of a child or children have split up and no longer share a single family home as a family unit. This is also known as a broken home. Have you ever heard the expression "A family who's eats together stays together"? Well, that is true, but and emotionally broken up family means that the family has grown apart, fights all the time, doesn't get along. It doesn't just take a toll on the family, it takes a toll on the family members. No one wants a broken home. Even if they say they do.

Description Paragraph

Broken Family can be describe as a broken home, where in a child dont have a both parent at home. The husband and wife are legally separated. It can also be spouse and child who were abandoning. Sometimes death of one member of the family can lead to broken family. Broken family is incomplete.

Classification Paragraph

Family requires responsibility. It is the most practical means yet devised to care for children until they may assume their responsibilities in society. Division of labor is required within the family, husband as the provider and the wife as the home-maker. Any circumstance which interferes with the performance of these functions creates problems which can be threat to the survival of the family, when the threats become actualities, we have broken family. A classification of the circumstances which may result of broken family is as follows: death of husband or wife, resulting widow; withdrawal of husband or wife by separation, divorce, or desertion; and extreme poverty arising from continued disability, unemployment or crime.

Compare and Contrast Paragraph

There are difference between a complete and a broken family. Complete family can looked at their child properly than a broken family can. Most of the teenagers who belongs to a broken family did not graduate. They even suffer emotional stress and depression which usually leads to suicide. While teenagers who belongs to a complete family graduated with even honours. But there are some products of broken family who were successful because their experiences inspire them to make a better family someday unlike the family they have. Members of a complete family are also capable of handling problems than a member from a broken one but they are both acceptable in the society.

Cause and Effect Paragraph

Family is the basic unit of society. It is composed of mother, father and a child. Home is where the family lives, whereas home refers to the things that bind together the family members. It is the immeasurable love and care that keeps together the mother, father, and their children. However, no matter how ideal a family, there are still hardship and misunderstanding. But, the sad part is when one of the family members gave up and others have no choice but to accept and let go. Thus, the family starts to be broken. Some reasons of misunderstanding financial problems and third party. Broken family varies from numerous reasons but when a couple split up, it is the children that are greatly affected scarring them emotionally, physically and socially. Broken family is a major problem of the society that should be given enough attention. It could not be taken for granted as if it will fix problem on its own.

Argumentative Paragraph

Marriage annulment in the Philippines is an extremely difficult legal issue that requires a qualified lawyer who is intimately familiar with all of the intricacies and complexities regarding the annulment of marriage in the Philippines. How to get a marriage annulment? First, you must complete the needed requirements. Second as the petitioner, have the choice to file in the Family Court of the province or city where you or your husband/wife has been residing for at least 6 months prior to the of filing of the petition, or in the case of a non-resident respondent, where he/she may be found in the Philippines. Then the court will be the one who is responsible for the processing of the filed annulment. Last, you will be waiting at least 6 months for the result.

Narration Paragraph

There is a boy who was a product of a broken family. He is Rico. He is not sociable, shy, and afraid of having friends because he was afraid that he may be like his mother and father, who are always fighting and became separated. He lives in his mothers house but he also went to his father every weekend. His teacher noticed his bad performance on school so his teacher fined some ways to teach

him how to socialite with others but Rico told his teacher why he didnt want to be with others except his mother. His teacher told him that being alone is not the solution to his problem so after that, Rico try to play with his classmates and there, he learned how to be happy and not alone.

Process Analysis Paragraph

Marriage annulment in the Philippines is an extremely difficult legal issue that requires a qualified lawyer who is intimately familiar with all of the intricacies and complexities regarding the annulment of marriage in the Philippines. How to get a marriage annulment? First, you must complete the needed requirements. Second as the petitioner, have the choice to file in the Family Court of the province or city where you or your husband/wife has been residing for at least 6 months prior to the of filing of the petition, or in the case of a non-resident respondent, where he/she may be found in the Philippines. Then the court will be the one who is responsible for the processing of the filed annulment. Last, you will be waiting at least 6 months for the result.

Division Paragraph

Even the family can consider broken, the member of it has their own responsibilities. The father stills the financial provider and supporter. The mother is still the one who took care of her children. She must teach her child and be a childs strengths whenever there is a problem. The child is responsible to make his mother or father happy especially in their situation. The child is also responsible in term of study.

Description Mechanism

Sometimes, long distance communication is one of the reason of broken family but it can be avoided because of cell phones, internet etc. Cell phones are big help for us to

communicate to our relatives who are far from us. We also have internet, so we can able to saw our family even you are far from each other. But cell phone can be reason of broken family if you will use it to have a third party.

http://alaissabalderrama.blogspot.com/2011/10/broken-family-defiination-paragraph.html

Is a Broken Family Hereditary?

Ron Siojo FOLLOW Is broken family hereditary? Is broken family a growing phenomenon? No matter how ideal a family or marriage in terms of relationship, there are still adversities and misconception that will always come along. It is a natural part of a relationship. But the lonely part is when one of the family members, either the father or the wife gave up and the others have no choice but to accept and let go. It is a saddening experience.

IS A BROKEN FAMILY HEREDITARY? Ron Siojo http://divorce-separation.knoji.com/is-a-broken-family-hereditary/ It runs in the family, is a common saying in the circles of successful families of politicians, businessmen, architects, educators, doctors, lawyers and even carpenters. The son and daughter of the late President Ferdinand Marcos including his wife, Mrs. Imelda Marcos is into politics as of this day. The same as the incumbent President, Benigno Aquino III, the son of the late president Cory Aquino and Senator Benigno Aquino are into politics. One of the notable family names in medieval architecture in Netherlands is the Keldermans family, of which seven generations were architects and sculptors. Their specialty is working in the Brabantine Gothic style. The Peale Family has been tag as a talented family of artists. Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) painted more than 1,000 portraits of the best figures in colonial America. Two of his sons, Raphael and Rembrandt; his brother James, was a famous miniature painter; two of his daughters, Anna Claypole and Sarah Miriam were among the earliest painters in America. In professional sports, many of athletes are sons who have followed the footsteps of their fathers, theres Bobby and Barry Bonds. Archie Manning, a former American quarterback of the National Football League, spawned a professional football dynasty with his sons Eli and Peyton. There is the Ken

Griffeys and Cal Ripkens (a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman), junior and seniors. Professionals like doctors, lawyers and others occasionally end up with marrying spouses with the same profession and commonly their children end up into their own profession too, but there is always an exception. Is a broken family runs in the family too? Here is an account of a family which I knew and very close to me. You may definitely not know them but I intentionally withdraw their names for their right of privacy. A sweet lady of age around 80-years or so now resides in the US for years now. She worked there and now living in her retirement status because of the benefits and health care there. Her first marriage was in the Philippines with a foreigner an American. She has one daughter on her first marriage. Since there is no divorce in the Philippines, her husband left her and went back to US. She married again a Chinese businessman and begets six children, one boy and five girls. Her first daughter on her first marriage got married to a foreigner as well, begetting a daughter. She got separated and married a Filipino politician and begets two children, a boy and a girl. After having a family conflict, they again separate ways. She met a businessman and lived together and begets four children of one boy and three girls. Her first son on her second marriage lives also in US with a steady job and a happy family with three daughters. He has a good wife with a happy marriage except for some problems about his daughters liberated living. Her first daughter on her second marriage is married to a Filipino. They have two healthy boys but another family feud made them separated. Her husband died of prostate cancer while she migrated to Europe and married again. Her second daughter was happily married with two daughters. When their family migrated in America, her husband left their family for another woman. She died of lung cancer due to extensive depression resulting from their separation. The next daughter was happily married with a professional engineer who works overseas. They have two daughters. She was involved to another married man so they separated and begets a daughter out of this infidelity. Her first husband died of liver cancer. She met again a young man; they lived together and have a son. They got separated again and she has all her children under her custody. The next daughter is happily married to a man who worked as a sea crew. They have one daughter and they got separated when her husband did not come back for her. She met a dedicated man and married her. They beget a son. Her husband worked in the US and died of lung cancer. She migrated to Canada, she is now living with her son and family with a granddaughter.

Her youngest daughter is living in the US. She never thinks of getting married; being afraid and aware of the circumstances of a broken family experienced by her siblings. The Concern Broken family has enormous effect on both spouses. It can also kill because of extensive depression. The effects on children are also excessive, psychologically and physically. But the debate is always on; just like living with the enemy or separately with the concern for the welfare of the children. Primary Image Source: http://familymediationservices.com/images/brokenfamily.jpg

Cause Of Filipino Family To Be Broken Home

ADDED JAN 6, 2010, UNDER: FAMILY LIFE

Read this content One of the reason behind broken families of Filipino, is working abroad.

There's a lot of husband and wife being separated. Because of lack of discipline between husband and wife that is working abroad. Instead of concentrating on their works and family. They concentrate to find someone that filled their hungry with flesh. Married men, did not think that they have a family. When they are intimately seduce women...which having a good family also. Instead of avoiding this to have contact each other in that place. It seems they are willing to give in and make an extra marital affairs in a distant land. Married women, also never control their lust to avoid connecting to any men. Most especially foreign men. I don't understand why there are so many undisciplined husband and wife which is not give the value of family. But the value of their lust instead...

http://pinaydhabroad.blogspot.com/2011/05/cause-of-filipino-family-to-be-broken.html

The Family Code of the Philippines

Written by Archbishop Oscar V.Cruz Thursday, 31 January 2013 00:00

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I, Corazon C. Aquino, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers

vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and promulgate the Family Code of the Philippines, as follows: Title I MARRIAGE Chapter 1: Requisites of Marriage Article 1. Marriage is a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life. It is the foundation of the family and an inviolable social institution These are not only interesting but also intriguing times not simply for the world in general but also for the Philippines in particular. The People of the Philippines are simply asking for enough food, decent clothing, acceptable housing, availability of work, and some ease in living. The government of the Philippines, on the other hand, triumphantly looks beyond such basic ground realities if not precisely the other way around. So it is that the incumbent President of the Philippines is instead perceived as preoccupied with lessening the people in the Philippines by waging war against the unborn. So it is that the same President of the Philippines appears to have in mind the multiplication of broken

families in the Philippines by divorce legislation. And so it is that the said President of the Philippines likewise seems to contemplate the idea of same sex marriage to altogether prevent child bearing. Never mind if a former President of the Philippines issued Executive Order 209 as amended by EO 227. Never mind if the same former President of the Philippines considered marriage as a special contract permanent union. And never mind if the said former President of the Philippines even looked at marriage as the foundation of the family an inviolable social institution. The former President of the Philippines ordered what she herself believed, knew, and practiced about marriage and its permanency, about conjugal and family life, on the other hand, the President of the Philippines seems to be indifferent to marriage, to conjugal and family life, and thus appears to squarely contradict the conviction of the former President of the Philippines his very own dear mama. Sad but true! (Reprinted with permission from Archbishop Emeritus Oscar V. Cruz, from www.ovc.blogspot.com)

http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/commentary/item/9865-the-family-code-of-the-philippines

Cause And Effect Of A Broken Family

Causes & Effects of Broken Relationship Causes and Effects of Broken Relationship A relationship is normally viewed as a connection between two individuals, such as a romantic relationship between a boy and a girl. A typical relationship is built through a deep, ineffable feeling of tenderly caring towards the person the relationship is concerned to. The conception of relationship encompasses a wealth of different feelings, from the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love to the nonsexual emotional closeness of familial. Thus relationship in its various forms acts as a major facilitator.

For further proceeding to this analysis of impact of broken relationship we now need to clarify how different types of relations are built and what are the facts that lead those relations to an unfair end meaning break-up.

Interpersonal relationship: is a relatively long-term association between a boy and a girl (assuming the nonexistence of gay and lesbian relationship in our country)like love and liking, as well as regular interactions. Interpersonal relationships take place in a great variety of contexts, such as friends, marriage, acquaintances, work, clubs, neighborhoods, and most significantly colleges and universities.

They may be regulated by law, custom, or mutual agreement. They are the basis of social groups. Abusive relationships: Although human beings are fundamentally social creatures, interpersonal relationships are not always healthy. Such unhealthy relationships are basically known as abusive relationships. Abusive relationships include and codependence which means the boy or the girl, either or both of them are heavily depended to each other. All relationships involve some level of interdependence. People in a relationship tend to influence each other, share their thoughts and feelings, and engage in activities together. Because of this interdependence, anything that changes or impacts one member of the relationship will have some level of. This association may be based on emotions.

http://oppapers.blogspot.com/2012/08/cause-and-effect-of-broken-family.html?view=flipcard Effect Of A Broken Family To A Student's Performance In School The Family is an essential factor for a humans whole-being, everything about a man, his background, attitude, all of his achievements, his honor and dignity , relies on the structure of the family a man lives in with. A family is composed of a father a mother and their offspring, bonded by their love for each other.

Here in the modern age a family could be two things, complete or broken. A broken family is believed to be a cause of a childs mislead in life, some people give it as the main reason of the r ebellious and unclear acts of children. School, another factor which meld us on becoming successful, but how will it make us successful if we cant focus, we cant do schooling likeothers cause we mind the problems we encounter in our homes. Many articles and support the issue that broken families affect the childs performance, attitude and self esteem. They show statistics that broken families affect much of the childs emotional and spiritual being, that it greatly distresses the childs education. The study was conducted on teenagers age 13-16. These ages are the most effective, cause at this age, a person discovers how to confront the problems, and he learns how to live with it. They also establish their own personality at this age, so the researcher took advantage of this factor, because by this, the researcher can see how much a person is affected by this king of problems, if there are other factors which counter the problems he/she faces. Some might use friends and other stuff to forget things and focus on studies. Using a questionnaire with 30 questions, the researcher surveys the effect of a broken family to a persons performance in school. He randomly sorted.

http://oppapers.blogspot.com/2012/08/effect-of-broken-family-to-students.html?view=flipcard

Broken home drives young man to suicide

June 7, 2013 9:26 pm

by Al Jacinto Correspondent ZAMBOANGA CITY: A teenager driven by extreme poverty and despondent over his broken family had killed himself in the town of Tampilisan in Zamboanga del Norte province in southern Philippines, police said on Friday. Police said that, the young man had attempted suicide in the past because of nagging problems about his family and his job as rubber tapper. He lived with his grandmother Lolita Peralta in the village of Galingon where his lifeless body was discovered on Thursday hanging by the bridge, said Insp. Melvin Solmayor, chief of the local police force. The teenager had previously complained of being tired of his work and was one of the reasons in his past suicide attempts. Investigation disclosed that a few weeks ago, [he] already attempted to commit suicide for the reason that he was already tired of his work as rubber tapper and as a product of a broken family, he only lived with his grandmother, Solmayor said in his report. It was unknown whether the teen-agers parents were aware of his tragic death. Teen suicide in the Philippines is not common and remains low compared to other Asian countries such as Japan. But the National Center of Biotechnology Information based in the United Kingdom cited a study on teenage suicide cases in the Philippines and said while suicide rates are low in the country, increases in incidence and relatively high rates in adolescents and young adults point to the importance of focused suicide prevention programs. Improving data quality and better reporting of suicide deaths is also imperative to inform and evaluate prevention strategies. It said suicide prevention is given a low priority in many Western Pacific countries because of competing health problems, stigma and poor understanding of its incidence and aetiology. Little is known about the epidemiology of suicide and suicidal behavior in the Philippines and although its incidence is reported to be low, there is likely to be under-reporting because of its nonacceptance by the Catholic Church and the associated stigma to the family, it said. It said the most commonly used methods of suicide were hanging, shooting and organophosphate ingestion.

http://www.manilatimes.net/broken-home-drives-young-man-to-suicide/7817/

Broken Family Structure Leads Educational Difficulties for Children

BY LIFESITENEWS.COM
Mon Jan 16, 2006 12:15 EST

to

By Gudrun Schultz UNITED STATES, January 16, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The U.S Center for Marriage and Family released a study in November 2005 that shows broken family structures consistently lead to education difficulties for children. When it comes to educational achievement, the study says, children living with their own married parents do significantly better than other children. The report found that children from non-intact families (children living in a situation other than with their own married father and mother) have significantly higher rates of difficulty with all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten through to primary, secondary, and college-age levels. Each year a child spends with a single mother or stepparent reduces that childs overall educational attainment by approximately one-half year suggests the report. The study, a comprehensive review of recent academic research on the relationship between family structures and childrens academic performance, compared education outcomes from children growing up with their own married parents to children in non-intact family structures such as divorced, single, remarried or cohabiting parents. Family structure was consistently found to be the deciding factor in a wide range of child behaviors that directly influence academic performance, including emotional and psychological distress, attention disorders, social misbehavior, substance abuse, sexual activity and teen pregnancy. Children from non-intact homes had higher rates of stress, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem, particularly as teenagers. The study found that preschool children from broken homes were three times more likely to suffer from attention deficit disorders than children from intact homes. Children from single-parent homes

suffered from more physical health problems, as well. Pre-school children from single-parent homes were also less likely to be read to or given help with letter-recognition. During elementary school, children from non-intact families scored consistently lower on reading comprehension and math, and had more difficulty maintaining their grade levels overall. Children from married parents had much lower rates of behavioral problems in the classroom than children who did not live with married parents. In particular, boys from broken marriages showed a higher rate of classroom misbehavior. For teenagers, students from broken homes were 30 percent more likely to miss school, be late, or cut class than students from intact homes, in part because single parents had more difficulty monitoring their children. These children were also at higher risk for smoking, using drugs and consuming alcohol. Teenagers from non-intact families were more likely to be sexually active and had higher rates of pregnancy. Girls from divorced single-mother homes were at greatest risk for teenage pregnancy. The study also found that children who were in a single-parent or step-parent home by the time they were ten were more than twice as likely to be arrested by age 14. Children who never lived with their own father had the highest likelihood of being arrested. The study reports that a majority of U.S. children will have spent a significant part of their childhood in a one-parent home by the time they reach 18. Single parent homes in the U.S. nearly doubled in the period from 1968-2003. Family Structure and Childrens Educational Outcomes: http://www.americanvalues.org/briefs/edoutcomes.htm

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/1960/nov/6011605

Family Structure and Childrens Education FamilyFacts.org

Children in intact families tend to have greater academic achievement and educational attainment and are less likely to exhibit behavioral problems in school. Their parents tend to be more involved in their school activities and to have higher expectations for them.
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Educational Attainment. Family structure is related to educational attainment. Individuals from intact families completed, on average, more years of schooling and were also more likely to graduate from high school, attend college, and complete college compared to peers raised in blended or single-parent families.1

School Behavior. Adolescents in intact families are less likely to exhibit problem behavior in school and tend to have higher levels of academic achievement. Compared to children living in intact families, peers living in (1) singlemother families, (2) single-mother families with cohabiting partners, and (3) married families with stepfathers were more likely to have ever been suspended or expelled from school; more likely to have engaged in delinquent activities in the past twelve months; more likely to have problems getting along with their teachers, doing homework, and paying attention in school; and more likely to have lower grade point averages. On the Peabody Vocabulary Test (PPVT), an indicator of cognitive development, children living in married-parent families with stepfathers and those living with married biological parents performed similarly; however, compared to adolescents in married biological-parent families, those living in singlemother families or those living with single mothers and their cohabiting partners tended to fare worse on the PPVT.2 Math and Science Proficiency. Children who do not live in intact families tend to be less proficient in math and science. Compared with peers in intact families, children in singleparent families, stepparent families, or non-parent guardian families scored, on average, lower on math and science achievement tests, according to a large international survey. Family resources (e.g., number of books in the home, number of possessions, immigrant status, and household size) only partially explained the relationship between family structure and math and science achievement.3 Divorce and Academic Achievement. Youths who experienced parental divorce tend to have lower grade point averages and are more likely to be held back a grade in school. When socio-economic standing, race, and gender are controlled for, (1) remarriage, more than divorce or widowhood, exerts a downward pressure on the achievement of these children on standardized tests; (2) divorce and widowhood, more than remarriage, exert downward pressure on GPA and increase the likelihood of being left back one grade.4 Family Disruption and College Attendance. Compared with peers whose parents divorced or separated, students from intact families are more likely to attend college. Students from intact families were 9 percent more likely to apply to college than students from disrupted families. Students from intact families were also more likely to be admitted to college (as a proportion of those who applied, 92 percent compared with 89 percent), more likely to attend a four-year college immediately after high school graduation (as a proportion of those who were admitted, 62 percent compared with 52 percent), and more likely to ever attend a four-year college (as a proportion of those who ever attended college, 51 percent compared with 37 percent) than those who did not live with their biological parents.5 Special Needs Classes. On average, a greater proportion of children who are in specialeducation classes come from single-parent households. Children in specialeducation classes were more likely to come from single-parent households (58 percent) than from two-parent households (31 percent) and were somewhat more likely to be of an ethnic minority. Black children in special-education classes were the least likely to have intact families; 70 percent lived with a single parent while 16 percent lived with two parents.6

Preschoolers Cognitive Development. Family structure is related to preschool childrens verbal reasoning skills. Children of singlemothers had lower scores than children from twoparent families.7 Parental Marital Disruption and Academic Achievement. Parental divorce or separation is related to youths academic performance and educational expectations. Compared with their peers from intact families, students who had experienced parental marital disruptions scored lower on academic tests and had lower educational aspirations both before and after the disruptions.8 Parental Involvement in Education. Family structure was associated with parents educational expectations and involvement with their childrens schoolwork. Children of single or stepparents reported that their parents had lower educational expectations for them compared to reports from children in intact families. The former group also reported that their parents are less likely to monitor schoolwork and provide less overall supervision of social activities compared to reports from children in intact families.9 Divorce and School Attendance. Compared with peers in intact families, adolescents from divorced single-parent households tend to have greater levels of absenteeism, tardiness, and truancy in school. Parental divorce altered daily routines and work schedules while imposing additional demands on both adults and children living in single-parent households. Most adolescents had to assume extra domestic and childcare responsibilities; financial conditions required some adolescents to work part-time. These burdens resulted in children from singleparent households having greater levels of absenteeism, tardiness, and truancy in school.10
1. 2. 3. Donna K. Ginther, Family Structure and Childrens Educational Outcomes: Blended Families, Stylized Facts, and Descriptive Regressions, Demography, Vol. 41, No. 4 (November 2004), pp. 671696. Wendy Manning and Kathleen Lamb, Adolescent Well-Being in Cohabitating, Married, and SingleParent Families, Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 65 (November 2003), pp. 876893. Suet-Ling Pong and Gillian Hampden-Thompson, Family Policies and Childrens School Achievement in Single- Versus Two-Parent Families, Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 65 (August 2003), pp. 681699. 4. 5. 6. William H. Jeynes, The Effects of Several of the Most Common Family Structures on the Academic Achievement of Eighth Graders, Marriage and Family Review, Vol. 30 (2000), pp. 7397. Dean Lillard and Jennifer Gerner, Getting to the Ivy League: How Family Composition Affects College Choice, Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 70, No. 6 (1999), pp. 706730. Kay Donahue Jennings et al., Elementary Students in Classes for the Emotionally Disturbed: Characteristics and Classroom Behavior, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Vol. 58 (January 1988), pp. 6576. 7. 8. 9. E. Milling Kinard and Helen Reinherz, School Aptitude and Achievement in Children of Adolescent Mothers, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 16, No. 1 (1987), pp. 6987. Youngmin Sun and Yuanzhang Li, Childrens Well-Being During Parents Marital Disruption Process: A Pooled Time-Series Analysis, Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 64 (May 2002), pp. 472488. Nan M. Astone and Sara S. McLanahan, Family Structure, Parental Practices, and High School Completion, American Sociological Review, Vol. 56 (1991), pp. 309320.

10. David H. Demo and Alan A. Acock, The Impact of Divorce on Children, Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 50 (1988), pp. 619648.

http://www.familyfacts.org/briefs/35/family-structure-and-childrens-education

What is the famous Article 36 of the Family Code? The article states that a marriage contracted by any party who, at the time of the celebration, was psychologically incapacitated to comply with the essential marital obligations of marriage, shall likewise be void even if such incapacity becomes manifest only after its solemnization. The Family Code does not define what psychological incapacity is. But the Supreme Court in several decisions has clarified what psychological incapacity is. In the case of Santos vs. Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court stated:

"Psychological incapacity under Article 36 of the Family Code is not meant to comprehend all possible cases of psychoses. It should refer, rather, to no less than a mental (not physical) incapacity that causes a party to be truly incognitive of the basic marital covenants that concomitantly must be assumed and discharged by the parties to the marriage. Psychological incapacity must be characterized by (a) gravity, (b) juridical antecedence, and (c) incurability." What marriages are considered incestuous and thus void? Marriages between the following are incestuous and void from the beginning, whether the

relationship between the parties be legitimate or illegitimate:

(1) Between ascendants and descendants of any degree; and

(2) Between brothers and sisters, whether of the full or half blood. What marriages are void by reasons of public policy? The following marriages are void from the beginning for reasons of public policy:

(1) Between collateral blood relatives whether legitimate or illegitimate, up to the fourth civil degree;

(2) Between step-parents and step-children;

(3) Between parents-in-law and children-in-law;

(4) Between the adopting parent and the adopted child;

(5) Between the surviving spouse of the adopting parent and the adopted child;

(6) Between the surviving spouse of the adopted child and the adopter;

(7) Between an adopted child and a legitimate child of the adopter;

(8) Between adopted children of the same adopter; and

(9) Between parties where one, with the intention to marry the other party, killed his own wife or her own husband, or the other person's spouse. The Family Code prohibits marriage between collateral blood relatives whether legitimate or illegitimate, up to the fourth civil degree. What does 4th civil degree mean? For example, Boy and Girl are first cousins:

Boys father is A. Girls mother is B. A and B are brother and sister from their parents. From Boy to his father A, one civil degree. From A to his parents, two civil degrees. From the parents down to B, three. From B to Girl, four civil degrees. Boy and Girl therefore cannot get married since they are related within four civil degrees. Who are people related by four civil degrees (and are therefore prohibited from getting married)? First cousins (as in the example I gave above) are related by four civil degrees. An uncle and a niece (or an aunt and a nephew) are also within four civil degrees. Can persons who find out that their marriage is bigamous simply declare by themselves that the marriage is void? No, they cannot. They must file a petition asking the court to declare the marriage as void. (Article 40) If the husband or wife has been missing for several years and could not be located despite earnest and diligent efforts, can the present spouse get married again? Article 41 provides that a marriage contracted by any person during subsistence of a previous

marriage is void, unless before the celebration of the subsequent marriage, the prior spouse had been absent for four consecutive years and the spouse present has a well-founded belief that the absent spouse was already dead. In case of disappearance where there is danger of death under the circumstances stated in Article 391 of the Civil Code, an absence of only two years is sufficient. What step must the present spouse take to get married again? For the purpose of contracting the subsequent marriage under Article 41, the spouse present must file a summary proceeding for the declaration of presumptive death of the absentee. What happens if the spouse declared presumptively dead reappears later on? The subsequent marriage is automatically terminated by the recording of the affidavit of reappearance of the absent spouse, unless there is a judgment annulling the previous marriage or declaring it void ab initio. A sworn statement of the fact and circumstances of reappearance must be recorded in the civil registry of the residence of the parties to the subsequent marriage at the instance of any interested person; due notice must be given to the spouses of the subsequent marriage. The fact of reappearance can be disputed in court. What are the effects if the subsequent marriage is terminated? Article 43 provides that the termination of the subsequent marriage produces the following effects:

(1) The children of the subsequent marriage conceived before its termination are legitimate;

(2) The absolute community of property or the conjugal partnership, as the case may be, will be dissolved and liquidated, but if either or both spouses contracted marriage in bad faith, their share of the net profits of the community property or conjugal partnership property will be forfeited in favor of the common children or, if there are none, the children of the guilty spouse by a previous marriage or in default of children, the innocent spouse;

(3) Donations by reason of marriage will remain valid, except that if the donee contracted the marriage in bad faith, the donations will be revoked by operation of law;

(4) The innocent spouse may revoke the designation of the other spouse who acted in bad faith as beneficiary in any insurance policy, even if the designation is stipulated as irrevocable; and

(5) The spouse who contracted the subsequent marriage in bad faith is disqualified to inherit from the innocent spouse by testate and intestate succession. What are the reasons for annulling a marriage? Article 45 provides that a marriage may be annulled for any of the following causes existing at the time of the marriage:

(1) That the party in whose behalf it is sought to have the marriage annulled was eighteen years of age or over but below twenty-one, and the marriage was solemnized without the consent of the parents, guardian or person having substitute parental authority over the party, in that order, unless after attaining the age of twenty-one, such party freely cohabited with the other and both lived together as husband and wife;

(2) That either party was of unsound mind, unless after coming to reason, the party freely cohabited with the other as husband and wife;

(3) That the consent of either party was obtained by fraud, unless the party afterwards, with full knowledge of the facts constituting the fraud, freely cohabited with the other as husband and

wife;

(4) That the consent of either party was obtained by force, intimidation or undue influence, unless the same having disappeared or ceased, the party afterwards freely cohabited with the other as husband and wife;

(5) That either party was physically incapable of consummating the marriage with the other, and the incapacity continues and appears to be incurable; or

(6) That either party was afflicted with a sexually-transmissible disease found to be serious and appears to be incurable. Article 45, paragraph (3) speaks of fraud that may annul a marriage. What constitutes fraud? Any of the following circumstances constitutes fraud referred to in Number 3 of Article 44:

(1) Non-disclosure of a previous conviction by final judgment of the other party of a crime involving moral turpitude;

(2) Concealment by the wife that at the time of the marriage, she was pregnant by a man other than her husband;

(3) Concealment of sexually transmissible disease, regardless of its nature, existing at the time of the marriage; or

(4) Concealment of drug addiction, habitual alcoholism, homosexuality, or lesbianism existing at the time of the marriage.

No other misrepresentation or deceit as to character, health, rank, fortune or chastity constitutes fraud that will give grounds for the annulment of marriage. Who can file for the annulment of a marriage and within what periods?

(1) For causes mentioned in number 1 of Article 45 by the party whose parent or guardian did not give his or her consent, within five years after attaining the age of twenty-one, or by the parent or guardian or person having legal charge of the minor, at any time before the party has reached the age of twenty-one;

(2) For causes mentioned in number 2 of Article 45, by the same spouse, who had no knowledge of the other's insanity; or by any relative or guardian or person having legal charge of the insane, at any time before the death of either party, or by the insane spouse during a lucid interval or after regaining sanity;

(3) For causes mentioned in number 3 of Article 45, by the injured party, within five years after the discovery of the fraud;

(4) For causes mentioned in number 4 of Article 45, by the injured party, within five years from

the time the force, intimidation or undue influence disappeared or ceased;

(5) For causes mentioned in number 5 and 6 of Article 45, by the injured party, within five years after the marriage.

What is the duty of the Court in cases of annulment or declaration of nullity of marriages? Article 48 provides that in all cases of annulment or declaration of absolute nullity of marriage, the Court must order the prosecuting attorney or fiscal assigned to it to appear on behalf of the State to take steps to prevent collusion between the parties and to take care that evidence is not fabricated or suppressed. During the course of the trial for the annulment or declaration of nullity of marriages, how can the rights of the spouses and their children as to support, visitation rights, etc be ensured? Article 49 provides that during the pendency of the action and in the absence of adequate provisions in a written agreement between the spouses, the Court must provide for the support of the spouses and the custody and support of their common children. The Court must give paramount consideration to the moral and material welfare of the children and their choice of the parent with whom they wish to remain under Title IX. It must also provide for appropriate visitation rights of the other parent. What are the things to be decided upon by the Court in cases of annulment or declaration of nullity? Article 50 provides that the final judgment of the Court must provide for the liquidation, partition and distribution of the properties of the spouses, the custody and support of the common children, and the delivery of their presumptive legitimes, unless such matters had been decided upon in previous judicial proceedings. All creditors of the spouses as well as of the absolute community or the conjugal partnership must be notified of the proceedings for liquidation. How can the rights of the children be guaranteed?

Article 51 provides that in the partition, the value of the presumptive legitimes of all common children, computed as of the date of the final judgment of the trial court, must be delivered in cash, property or sound securities, unless the parties, by mutual agreement judicially approved, had already provided for such matters. The children or their guardian or the trustee of their property may ask for the enforcement of the judgment. Does this mean that the children will no longer inherit from their parents? No, the delivery of the presumptive legitimes will in no way prejudice the ultimate successional rights of the children accruing upon the death of either of both of the parents; but the value of the properties already received under the decree of annulment or absolute nullity will be considered as advances on their legitime. What are required to be done with the judgment, partition, etc? The judgment of annulment or of absolute nullity of the marriage, the partition and distribution of the properties of the spouses and the delivery of the children's presumptive legitimes must be recorded in the appropriate civil registry and registries of property; otherwise, it will not affect third persons. When can the former spouses get married again to other persons? Article 53 provides that either of the former spouses may marry again after complying with the requirements of Article 52; otherwise, the subsequent marriage will be void. What is the status of the children in such cases? Article 54 provides that children conceived or born before the judgment of annulment or absolute nullity of the marriage under Article 36 has become final and executory are legitimate. Children conceived or born of the subsequent marriage under Article 53 are also legitimate.

http://famli.blogspot.com/2006/12/family-code-of-philippines-primer-on_06.html

Q & A: Solo Parent's Welfare Act and Parental Leave

Release Date:
Monday, March 3, 2008

WHAT IS THE SOLO PARENTS WELFARE ACT? RA 8972 or the Solo Parents Welfare Act provides for benefits and privileges to solo parents and their children. It aims to develop a comprehensive package of social development and welfare services for solo parents and their children to be carried out by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as the lead agency, various government agencies including NSO and other related NGOs. WHEN DID RA 8972 TAKE EFFECT? RA 8972 was signed into law on November 7, 2000 and took effect on November 28, 2000. Its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) was approved in April 2002. WHO ARE CONSIDERED AS SOLO PARENT? Solo Parent is any individual who falls under any of the following categories: 1. A woman who gives birth as a result of rape and other crimes against chastity even without a final conviction of the offender, provided that mother keeps and raises the child. 2. Parent left solo or alone with the responsibility of parenthood due to the following circumstances: a. Due to death of spouse. b. Spouse is detained or is serving sentence for a criminal conviction for at least one (1) year. c. Physical and/or mental incapacity of spouse as certified by a public medical practitioner. d. Legal separation or de facto separation from spouse for at least one (1) year, as long as he/she is entrusted with the custody of the children. e. Declaration of nullity or annulment of marriage as decreed by a court or by a church as long as he/she is entrusted with the custody of the children. 3. Unmarried mother/father who has preferred to keep and rear her/his child/children instead of having others care for them or give them up to a welfare institution.

4. Any other person who solely provides parental care and support to a child or children. 5. Any family member who assumes the responsibility of head of family as a result of the death, abandonment, disappearance or prolonged absence of the parents or solo parent. WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR THE TERMINATION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF A SOLO PARENT? A change in the status or circumstances of the parent claiming benefits under this Act, such that he/she is no longer left alone with the responsibility of parenthood, shall terminate his/her eligibility for benefits such as change in the status with marriage, the concerned parent is no longer left alone with the responsibility of parenthood, etc. DOES THE SOLO PARENT ACT APPLY TO THOSE WHOSE SPOUSE IS ABROAD? The law did not consider this as one of the categories of solo parent since the other spouse still exercises duties over his/her family. However, if the other parent is abroad and has lost contact with his/her family for a year or more, the other parent who is left with the custody of the family, may be considered as solo parent, provided proofs are presented to qualify as such. WHAT IS THE PACKAGE OF SERVICES FOR SOLO PARENT? The comprehensive package of programs/services for solo parents includes livelihood, selfemployment and skills development, employment-related benefits, psychosocial, educational, health and housing services. WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR SUPPORT? Any solo parent whose income in the place of domicile falls below the poverty threshold as set by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and subject to the assessment of the DSWD worker in the area shall be eligible for assistance. A Solo Parent can directly inquire from the following agencies to avail of their services: 1. Health Services (DOH) 2. Educational Services (CHED, TESDA) 3. Housing (NHA)

4. Parental Leave (Employer, DOLE, CSC) Solo parent whose income is above the poverty threshold shall enjoy only such limited benefits as flexible work schedule, parental leave and others to be determined by the DSWD. WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO AVAIL OF THE PACKAGE OF SERVICES? A solo parent shall apply for a Solo Parent Identification Card (Solo Parent ID) from the City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development (C/MSWD) Office. Once the C/MSWD Office issues the Solo Parent ID, a solo parent can apply for services he/she needs from the C/MSWD Office or to specific agencies providing such assistance/services. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS IN SECURING A SOLO PARENT ID? 1. Barangay certificate residency in the area; 2. Documents/Evidence that the applicant is a solo parent (e.g. death certificate of spouse, declaration of nullity of marriage, medical certificate if incapacitated); and 3. Income Tax Return (ITR) or certification from the barangay/municipal treasurer. WHAT DOCUMENT/PROOF WILL A SOLO PARENT PRESENT IF HE/SHE HAS CHILD OR IS DE FACTO SEPARATED FROM HUSBAND/WIFE? A Certificate issued by the Barangay Captain indicating the circumstances on ones being a solo parent. IF A SOLO PARENT FILES THE APPLICATION, CAN AN ID BE SECURED RIGHT AWAY? No. The Social Worker has to complete the assessment/evaluation of the solo parent situation. The ID will be issued after 30 days from filing. The validity of the ID is one year and is renewable. WHAT IS PARENTAL LEAVE? Parental Leave refers to leave benefits granted to a solo parent to enable said parent to perform parental duties and responsibilities where physical presence is required as provided under Civil Service Commission (CSC) Memorandum Circular No. 08, series 2004. IS PARENTAL LEAVE RETROACTIVE SINCE THE LAW TOOK EFFECT LAST NOVEMBER 2000?

No. Parental leave is non-cumulative and can be availed only during the current year. Further, it can only be availed after the issuance of the Solo Parent ID. IS THE 7-DAY PARENTAL LEAVE IN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING 3-DAY SPECIAL LEAVE PRIVILEGE? The law clearly indicates that the granting of the 7-day parental leave is on top of the 3-day special leave and other mandatory leave benefits. CAN A SOLO PARENT APPLY FOR PARENTAL LEAVE FOR ANY CHILD? Yes, as long as the child is living with him/her, dependent for support, unmarried, unemployed and below eighteen (18) years old, or eighteen (18) years old and above but is incapable of self-support and/or with physical/mental defect/disability. WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR GRANTING PARENTAL LEAVE TO SOLO

PARENTS? The parental leave of seven (7) days shall be granted to any Solo Parent employee subject to the following conditions: 1. The solo parent must have rendered government service for a least one (1) year, whether continuous or broken, reckoned at the time of the effectivity of the law on September 22, 2002, regardless of the employment status. 2. The parental leave shall be availed of every year and shall not be convertible to cash. If not availed within the calendar year, said privilege shall be forfeited within the same year. 3. The parental leave shall be availed of on a continuous or staggered basis, subject to the approval of the Administrator. In this regard, the solo parent shall submit the application for parental leave at least one (1) week prior to availing the solo parent leave, except on emergency cases. 4. The solo parent employee may avail of parental leave under any of the following circumstances: a. Attend to personal milestones of a child such as birthday, communion, graduation and other similar events; b. Perform parental obligations such as enrollment and attendance in school programs, PTA meetings and the like;

c. Attend to medical social, spiritual and recreational needs of the child; d. Other similar circumstances necessary in the performance of parental duties and responsibilities, where physical presence of the parent is required. 5. The head of agency/office concerned may determine whether granting of parental leave is proper or may conduct the necessary investigation to ascertain if grounds for termination and withdrawal of the privilege exist. CAN A SOLO PARENT AVAIL OF THE MATERNITY LEAVE? There is no provision in the law that there is a maternity leave for Solo Parents, however, other laws can be applied. References: 1. Republic Act No. 8972 - An Act Providing for Benefits and Privileges to Solo Parents and their Children, Appropriating Funds Thereof and For Other Purposes. November 2000 2. CSC MemorandumCSC Memorandum Circular No. 8, s. 2004 - Guidelines on the Grant of Parental Leave to Solo Parent. March 24, 2004

http://www.census.gov.ph/content/q-solo-parents-welfare-act-and-parental-leave