When I read about House Bill No. 9652, I could not help but think about my own journey as a working mother.
I am a mother of two boys, and like many parents, I spent years trying to balance the responsibilities of work and raising children. Looking back, I realize that I will never personally benefit from the child minding facilities envisioned in this bill. My children have long outgrown those toddler years. Still, I wholeheartedly welcome this proposal because I know exactly how difficult those years can be.
There were days when I brought my children with me to work because I had no other choice. I remember trying to focus on deadlines, meetings, and responsibilities while also making sure my boys were comfortable, fed, and safe. It was exhausting, but like many mothers, I simply did what needed to be done.
That is why the viral image of a delivery rider stopping on the roadside to check a CCTV feed of his child struck a chord with so many Filipinos. It is more than just a photograph. It is a reminder of the quiet worries that countless parents carry with them every single day. While they are working hard to provide for their families, part of their heart is always with the child they had to leave behind.
No parent should have to choose between earning a living and ensuring their child's safety.
This is what makes House Bill No. 9652 such a meaningful proposal. By establishing safe, licensed, and affordable Child Minding Facilities in cities and municipalities nationwide, the bill recognizes a reality that many families face. Not everyone has relatives available to help. Not everyone can afford private childcare. Yet every parent deserves the peace of mind of knowing their child is in a safe and nurturing environment while they work.
As a mother who has already gone through that season of life, I see this measure not through the lens of personal benefit, but through empathy for today's young parents. I think of the mothers rushing to work after sleepless nights. I think of the fathers taking on extra shifts just to make ends meet. I think of parents in the informal sector, delivery riders, vendors, and workers who often have nowhere safe to leave their young children.
If this bill can lessen even a fraction of the anxiety they carry, then it deserves serious consideration.
I may never get the chance to use these facilities myself, but I am genuinely happy that future generations of parents might have a support system that many of us never had. Sometimes progress means ensuring that others are spared the struggles we once endured.
And as a mother, I can think of few investments more important than giving parents the confidence to work and provide for their families, knowing that their children are safe, cared for, and protected.
