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Aspiring 2025 lawmakers eye redefinition of the 'Filipino family'

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Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1728323040642IMG_2813.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pamilya Ko party-list led by nominee Anel Diaz files its CONA on Oct. 7, 2024. <em>Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — What defines a Filipino family?</p><p>This was one of the main ideas explored by several 2025 aspirants as they filed their candidacies on Monday, a day before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) closes its application to fill up over 18,000 elective posts up from grabs next year.</p><div><strong>MODERN FAMILIES</strong></div><p>For new party-list group Pamilya Ko, it about time for the state to finally recognize “non-traditional families,” adding that there are countless familial relationships outside those defined by marriage.</p><p>“Hindi ito nabubuo lamang sa pamamagitan ng kasal o isang partikular na estruktura… [M]araming mukha ang pamilyang Pilipino na hindi laging umaayon sa tradisyunal na anyo, pero ganun pa man ay hindi masasabing iba sa kahalagahan at karapatan na magkaroon ng respeto at suporta,” said nominee Miguel Callos.</p><p>(There are many forms of Filipino family that do not conform with the traditional set up, but it doesn’t mean they deserve less rights and respect.)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/9/24/thai-king-signs-same-sex-marriage-into-law-2137">• &#x27;Monumental step&#x27; as Thai king signs same-sex marriage into law</a></div><p>Callos said these “non-traditional families” include live-in partners, long-distance set up with OFWs, adoptive families, blended families, LGBTQIA+ families, and single or solo parents, among others.</p><p>“Ito ang mga sektor na kadalasang hindi nabibigyan ng sapat na pansin sa ating lipunan kahit na ito ay realidad sa marami sa atin,” Callos said.</p><p>If elected, the party-list said it would push for 3 measures to redefine the Filipino family, namely</p><p>• Remove the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children in order for them to have equal rights</p><p>• Craft a legal framework to allow surrogacy in the Philippines</p><p>• Allow “domestic partnership” for live-in partners, including same-sex couples, for them to gain medical, legal, and property rights over each other</p><p>“The state cannot turn a blind eye into our non-traditional families,” said first nominee Anel Diaz.</p><div><strong>WOMEN&#x27;S GROUP OPPOSES</strong><strong> ABORTION, DIVORCE</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1728323077241IMG_2919.JPG" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><span contenteditable="true" id="isPasted" style="text-align:left">Babae Ako party-list led by nominee Shantal Dimayuga files its CONA on Oct. 7, 2024. <em>Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News</em></span> <br/></span></span></span></div><p>Women&#x27;s group Babae Ako party-list, meanwhile, is seeking to preserve most of the conservative ideals of the Filipino family as they registered opposition to abortion and divorce, and was lukewarm to proposals to expand the maternity leave.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/4/gabriela-seeks-fresh-house-term-bares-stance-on-abortion-sex-work-1301">• Gabriela seeks fresh House term, bares stance on abortion, &#x27;sex work&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;Kami po bilang Babae Ako, bilang isang lider, isang ina, against po kami syempre sa abortion,&quot; said first nominee Shantal Dimayuga, regardless of whether the unwanted pregnancy was due to crimes such as rape or incest.</p><p>This is where Babae Ako comes to the rescue, Dimayuga said.</p><p>&quot;Kaya may mga nakahanda rin kaming advocacy para sa kanila na hindi sila matatakot, hindi sila mawawalan ng pag-asa,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;Kasi kahit sabihing dugo pa lang yan, hindi pa yan buo, pero yan po ay blessing ng Panginoon,&quot; she reasoned out.</p><p>In opposing divorce, Dimayuga said the bond created &quot;by God&quot; cannot be easily undone by anyone.</p><p>&quot;Sa divorce, syempre tayo po ay isang Kristiyano at tayo ay against sa divorce dahil naniniwala po kami na ang pinagsama ng Diyos ay hindi basta-basta mapaghihiwalay ng tao.&quot;</p><p>In May this year, the Absolute Divorce Bill got the final nod of the House of Representatives but a counterpart bill remains pending before the Senate.</p><div><strong>CHILDREN</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1728323102324IMG_2839.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Dr. Mata files his certificate of candidacy for senator on Oct. 7, 2024. <em>Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></strong>Dr. Richard Mata, a pediatrician, is aiming to be a champion of &quot;your children and grandchildren&quot; if he gets elected as senator next year.</div><p>He raised the issue of late diagnosis of children with disorders such as ADHD and autism, blaming it on government bureaucracy. </p><p>&quot;Maraming bata na may autism, ADHD pero ilang taon bago ma-assess, wala ring libreng therapy, walang libreng compensation ang mga magulang sa mga dagdag gastusain,&quot; Mata said.</p><p>He proposed a better coordination with the Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, which facilitates the diagnosis of such disorders among children.</p><div><strong>STRENGTHENING THE KASAMBAHAY LAW</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1728323123224IMG_2945.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Kasambahay party-list led by nominee Chembeelyn Balucan files its CONA on Oct. 7, 2024. <em>Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></strong>For Kasambahay party-list, a seat in Congress next year would allow them to push for amendments to the 11-year old Kasambahay law, which sought to protect domestic workers from abuses. </div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/18/23/jinggoy-seeks-more-protection-for-employers-vs-criminal-minded-maids">• Jinggoy seeks more protection for employers vs &#x27;criminal-minded&#x27; maids</a></div><p>&quot;It&#x27;s more than 10 years already since the Kasambahay Law was enacted, yet as time goes on and evolved, there are many agenda and concerns of the kasambahays that are left unattended and are not cured by the existing law,&quot; first nominee <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Chembeelyn Balucan explained. </span></p><div><span id="isPasted">She said that first and foremost, the law needed a &quot;penal provision&quot; so that employers as well as barangays would have greater accountability in case of abuse. </span></div><div><span id="isPasted"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/28/22/house-oks-bill-vs-kasambahays-with-criminal-record">• House approves bill vs kasambahays with criminal record</a></span></div><p>&quot;Ang Kasambahay Law po ay kulang ng isang penal provision that would penalize abuses against kasambahays,&quot; Balucan said.</p><p>&quot;Wala pong administrative liability ang barangay officials na hindi gumagalaw, hindi nagre-respond agad sa concerns ng kasambahay,&quot; she lamented.</p><p>The Comelec has so far received 127 applications to be a senatorial candidate and over 130 party-list nominations. </p><p>The period of filing of candidacies will end on Oct. 8, Tuesday.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gyug-Zlrsmc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>