Short answer. Yes. Article 357 of the Civil Code lists cooperating with the family in all matters for its common good as one of four duties every child owes, alongside obeying parents, respecting grandparents and elders, and working hard at their education — it isn't limited to obedience alone.
What the law says
Every child shall: (1) Obey and honor his parents or guardian; (2) Respect his grandparents, old relatives, and persons holding substitute parental authority; (3) Exert his utmost for his education and training; (4) Cooperate with the family in all matters that make for the good of the same.
Civil Code, Article 357 — Duties of Every Child. Read the full provision →
The four duties Article 357 lists
Article 357 of the Civil Code sets out four things every child is expected to do: obey and honor their parents or guardian; respect their grandparents, older relatives, and anyone else holding substitute parental authority over them; put real effort into their education and training; and cooperate with the family in whatever furthers its common good. The first two duties are about respect and deference. The last two are broader — they extend the child's obligations into effort and active participation, not passive obedience alone.
What 'cooperate with the family' actually covers
The fourth duty is deliberately broad rather than a specific chore list. It covers contributing to the household in ways appropriate to the child's age and capacity — helping with tasks at home, supporting siblings, pitching in during a family crisis, or otherwise acting in the family's collective interest rather than only their own. The Civil Code does not fix an age, a set of tasks, or a penalty for falling short; it states the principle and leaves the application to the circumstances of each family.
How this duty relates to a child's other obligations
This duty to cooperate exists alongside, not instead of, the child's duty to obey and to pursue their education. Read together, the four clauses describe a child's obligations as a package: deference toward parents and elders, personal effort in schooling, and active participation in family life. None of the four is framed as optional, though as with most obligations owed between family members, the Civil Code does not provide a mechanism to compel performance the way it does for financial obligations like support.
This is a duty, not a legally enforceable debt
It's worth being realistic about what Article 357 can and cannot do for you. Unlike support, which a parent or child can seek to enforce through the courts, the duties listed here — obedience, respect, effort in school, cooperation with the family — are moral and legal expectations rather than obligations backed by a specific civil remedy. They matter most as the legal articulation of what a family is entitled to expect from a child, and as context when courts weigh a child's conduct in related disputes, such as custody or support.
Cases citing this provision
These Supreme Court decisions cite the provision above. We list them so you can read them yourself; the summaries of what each decided are not ours to give.
- Heirs of Cerila Gamos, et al. vs. Heirs of Juliano Frando, et al, G.R. No. 149117, December 16, 2004 — read the decision on LawPhil →