Pokwang says children have no obligation to ‘help’ their elderly parents

Pokwang with her daughters | Image: Instagram/@itspokwang27

Pokwang is one of the individuals who believes that children have no responsibility to help or provide for their parents once they’re older.

In her Instagram story, the “Becky & Badette” actress asserted that as long as her children live a good life, they won’t have to worry about helping or providing for her.

“Responsibilidad ba ng anak na tulungan ang kanilang magulang kapag sila ay matanda na?” she wrote. “Para sakin, NO! Basta ayusin lang nila buhay nila at itaguyod ang mga anak nila ng maayos, masaya na ako.”

(Is it the child’s responsibility to help their parents when they are old? For me, NO! As long as they fix their lives and support their children properly, I’m happy.)

Pokwang has two daughters: Ria Mae is from her previous relationship, and her youngest, Malia, her child with ex-partner Lee O’Brian. The actress had a son from her first marriage who later died due to a congenital brain ailment.

READ: Pokwang’s ex-partner Lee O’Brian deported, says BI

Image: Instagram/@itspokwang27

Meanwhile, the discourse on whether children should help and provide for their parents was spurred by Dani Barretto when she came up with a vlog about “The Difference Between Utang na Loob (debt of gratitude) and Giving Back,” saying that when a child gives back to their parents, it should be done out of love and their own will, not out of obligation.

John Arcilla later on weighed in on the matter by saying that giving back and taking care of one’s parents when they are older is a “normal duty” that a child must do that should not be rooted in debt of gratitude.

“‘Utang na loob’ and ‘obligasyon’ are wrong words; ‘pag ang usapan ay mga magulang na ating pinanggalingan,” he argued. (Debt of gratitude and obligation are wrong words to use when we are talking about our parents, who gave birth and provided for us.)

“Hindi naman talaga utang na loob o obligasyon ang pagkupkop o pagtulong sa mga tumatandang magulang—dahil ito ay normal at natural na duty ng mga anak. Kasing natural at normal nung inaalagaan nila tayo nung maliit pa. Pinakain, dinamitan, iginapang, at pinag-aral,” he continued.

(It is not really a debt of gratitude or obligation to shelter or help aging parents—because it is a normal and natural duty of children. It’s as natural and normal as when they took care of us when we were little to be fed, clothed, sheltered, and educated.)

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