In Philippine law, what many people call “child support” is simply support—a legally enforceable obligation rooted in family relations. The hard part is not whether parents have a duty (they generally do), but (1) whether support can be collected for past periods (“arrears”), and (2) whether an adult child can personally claim it. The short answer is: sometimes yes, sometimes no—depending on whether there was a prior demand, agreement, or court order, and on what exactly is being claimed.

1) Legal foundation: “Support” under Philippine law

What “support” includes

Under the Family Code provisions on Support (Articles 194–208), support is broader than food money. It generally includes what is indispensable for:

sustenance (food),
dwelling/shelter,
clothing,
medical attendance,
education (commonly understood to extend through completion of education/training), and
transportation in keeping with the family’s financial capacity and social circumstances.

Who can demand support, and from whom

Support is a legal obligation among certain family members. Most relevant here:

Parents owe support to their children (legitimate or illegitimate), and
Children (as descendants) may also owe support to parents in proper cases.

For child support disputes, the common scenario is a child (through a parent/guardian while minor, or personally when of age) demanding support from a parent.

Support depends on need and ability to pay

Courts set support based on two moving factors:

the recipient’s needs, and
the giver’s resources/means.

Support can be increased or reduced as circumstances change. It is not “one amount forever.”

2) Support after age 18: when adult children can still demand support

Turning 18 ends parental authority, but it does not automatically end support in every situation.

Adult children may still be entitled to support when, for example:

they are still in school/training and reasonably need support to complete education;
they are unable to support themselves due to disability or serious incapacity; or
they otherwise show legal and factual need, and the parent has capacity to provide.

What usually ends support is not adulthood alone, but the child becoming capable of self-support and no longer needing support, subject to circumstances.

Practical note: Courts may look at school enrollment, reasonable expenses, and whether the child is making genuine efforts (e.g., not repeatedly failing or refusing to study/work without justification).

3) The central issue: can support be collected for the_attach?

This is where most misunderstandings happen.

The general non-retroactivity rule (critical)

A key Family Code rule is that while support is demandable from the time the person needs it, it is not generally payable for past periods before a judicial or extrajudicial demand. In practice, courts commonly award support effective from the date of demand—often the date a case is filed or a formal demand is made.

Meaning: If nobody demanded support when the child was younger, Philippine law generally does not treat unpaid “should-have-been-given” support years ago as automatically collectible later.

But arrears can be collected in important situations

Past-due support is more clearly collectible when there is:

A court order directing support (monthly support, support pendente lite, support in a decree/judgment, or in a protection order), or
A written agreement/compromise fixing a support amount and schedule (especially if approved by a court), or
A demand already made earlier (judicial or extrajudicial), from which point the obligation to pay becomes enforceable for the period after that demand.

So the adult child’s ability to claim “unpaid support” depends heavily on whether the claim is:

a new claim for support that was never demanded before, versus
collection/enforcement of support that was already demanded or ordered.

4) Can adult children personally claim unpaid child support?

A. If there was a prior court order or enforceable agreement: generally yes

If a court ordered a parent to pay monthly support and the parent didn’t pay, those unpaid amounts become support in arrears. An adult child can generally pursue collection because:

the right to support belongs to the child, and
once amounts are due under an order/agreement, nonpayment is not erased by the child turning 18.

Typical ways it’s enforced:

motion for execution (or other enforcement remedies),
contempt proceedings for willful disobedience,
garnishment/levy on property in proper cases.

If a compromise agreement was approved by the court (common in family cases), it can often be enforced like a judgment.

B. If there was no prior order/agreement and no earlier demand: usually no (for the childhood years)

If support was never demanded while the child was a minor, Philippine law generally does not allow an adult child to retroactively charge a parent for all the “missed” support during childhood as a collectible debt.

What the adult child can do in this scenario is usually limited to:

demanding current/future support (if still legally entitled due to education/incapacity/need), effective from demand; and/or
pursuing other legally recognized claims that are not simply “retroactive support” (see reimbursement below).

C. If there was an earlier demand (even without a judgment): often yes, from the demand date

If there is proof that support was demanded earlier (for example, a formal demand letter, a filed case, or documented negotiations where support was demanded), courts commonly treat support as collectible from that demand point onward, not for earlier years.

Key practical point: Evidence of demand matters—letters, messages, barangay records (if any), pleadings, or any document showing a clear request for support.

5) The reimbursement angle: what if the custodial parent paid everything?

A frequent reality is: the mother (or custodial parent/guardian) paid for the child’s needs alone while the other parent refused.

Two different legal ideas can apply:

(1) The child’s right to support

This is the child demanding that the parent provide support. This is the main “support case.”

(2) Reimbursement/subrogation concepts

Philippine civil law recognizes that when someone who is legally bound to give support fails, and another person supplies that support, the one who supplied may, in appropriate cases, seek reimbursement from the person legally obliged—subject to rules on proof, reasonableness, and whether it was truly support that should have been borne by the obligated parent.

This is important because sometimes the better claimant for past expenses is not the adult child but the person who actually paid the bills (often the custodial parent), depending on how the claim is framed and proven.

Practical impact:

An adult child trying to collect “what mom spent” may face pushback unless the claim is properly structured and supported by law and evidence.
The custodial parent may have a stronger footing to claim reimbursement for certain expenses, while the child claims ongoing support (if still entitled).

6) What about illegitimate children, paternity disputes, and proof problems?

Support depends on the family relationship.

Legitimate and illegitimate children

Both legitimate and illegitimate children have the right to support from parents. The difference often shows up in:

proof of filiation, and
related family law consequences (e.g., surnames, parental authority, custody presumptions).

If paternity is denied

When the putative father disputes paternity, the claimant typically must establish filiation through:

the record of birth / acknowledgment,
written admissions,
open and continuous possession of status, and/or
other admissible evidence (and in some cases, DNA testing may be sought through court processes).

Support pendente lite (temporary support while a case is pending) may be requested in certain situations, but courts will usually look for at least a credible showing that the relationship exists.

7) Procedure: where and how claims are filed

Proper court

Support cases fall within the jurisdiction of Family Courts (under the Family Courts Act). Depending on the situation, the action may be:

an independent petition/complaint for support,
a motion or incident within an existing family case (nullity/annulment/legal separation/custody), or
an enforcement action (execution/contempt) when there is already an order.

Who files when the child is already an adult?

A child who is already of age generally files in their own name as the real party in interest (especially for ongoing support and enforcement of arrears that belong to them).
A parent/guardian may still be involved factually (as witness, document source, or in reimbursement claims).

Common requests in support pleadings

Support pendente lite (temporary support while the case is pending).
Continuing monthly support going forward.
Payment of arrears (if based on an order/agreement or demand date).
Attorney’s fees and costs (in some cases, depending on basis and court discretion).

8) Enforcement tools when a parent refuses to pay

If there is a support order (or a judgment/approved compromise), enforcement can include:

Civil enforcement

Writ of execution for amounts due (subject to procedural rules).
Garnishment of bank accounts or credits, or levy on property, when allowed and properly pursued.
Contempt for willful disobedience of court orders.

Protection orders and VAWC (context-specific)

Under R.A. 9262 (VAWC), deprivation or refusal to provide financial support can constitute economic abuse and can also be addressed through protection orders that include support provisions.

However, R.A. 9262 has its own definition of “children” (commonly centered on minors and certain dependent adults due to incapacity). For adult children who are fully capable, a VAWC-based remedy may be less straightforward than ordinary family law support remedies. Where it applies, it can be powerful because protection orders can include immediate support-related directives.

9) Timing and prescription issues (important but fact-sensitive)

Even if arrears are theoretically collectible, delays can create procedural barriers.

Key time-related concepts include:

Execution of judgments has time limits under procedural rules (commonly: execution by motion within a period; after that, revival of judgment may be required within another period).
Installment obligations can raise questions about when each unpaid installment became enforceable and whether older installments are time-barred.

Because these rules are technical and depend on what document exists (judgment vs. agreement vs. no order), the presence or absence of a prior court order is often decisive.

10) Common defenses raised by the paying parent

A parent resisting payment often argues:

No prior demand (therefore no retroactive support).
The child is already capable of self-support (to stop or reduce ongoing support).
Inability to pay (which can reduce ongoing support but does not automatically erase enforceable arrears under an existing order).
Paternity/filiation is not established (in illegitimate-child cases).
Support already provided in kind (schooling paid directly, rent, groceries) — courts may credit proven payments depending on the order’s terms and proof.

11) Practical examples: how outcomes differ

Example 1: No demand until adulthood

A child turns 25 and sues for “all the support not given since birth.” Likely outcome: Courts generally will not treat past childhood support as collectible retroactively without earlier demand or an existing order/agreement. The adult child may still seek support going forward only if they still legally need it (e.g., still studying, disabled).

Example 2: There was a court order when the child was 10

A court ordered ₱10,000/month support. The parent paid nothing for five years. The child is now 19. Likely outcome: The unpaid amounts are arrears and are generally collectible/enforceable despite the child now being an adult.

Example 3: There was a written support agreement (or court-approved compromise)

Parents signed an agreement fixing support; payments stopped. Child is now 21. Likely outcome: Depending on the document and how it was executed/approved, the agreement can often be enforced like a contract (and if court-approved, often like a judgment), making arrears collectible.

Example 4: The mother shouldered everything

The mother paid tuition, food, rent for years. Child is now adult. Possible approach: The adult child may pursue ongoing support if still entitled; the mother may explore a reimbursement-type claim for certain expenses if legally supportable and properly documented.

Key takeaways

In Philippine law, “child support” is support under the Family Code.
Adult children can still demand support after 18 in appropriate situations (notably education and incapacity).
Collecting unpaid past support depends on whether there was a prior demand, agreement, or court order.
Without earlier demand/order, courts generally do not award support retroactively for childhood years.
With a court order or enforceable agreement, arrears remain collectible even after the child becomes an adult.
When someone else paid the child’s expenses, reimbursement concepts may matter and can change who the strongest claimant is for past amounts.