The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in partnership with national government agencies (NGAs) and members of the Association of Child Caring Agencies of the Philippines (ACCAP), will lead this year’s Adoption Consciousness Celebration (ACC) from February 11-19, 2017.

With the theme “Pagmamahal Palaganapin, Legal na Pag-aampon Ating Gawin! (Spread Unconditional Love through Legal Adoption),” the celebration aims to promote legal adoption as a means of providing compassion and unconditional love to abandoned, neglected and surrendered children.

Moreover, the celebration also encourages families to undergo legal adoption in order to protect the welfare of adopted children and ensure that their rights are same with that of biological children.

“One of the important thrusts of our Department is to ensure that all children, whether adopted or legitimate, have the right to have a family that will provide the protection, care and love that they need. Hence, we are advocating for the strengthening of the legal process of adoption to ensure that the rights of adopted children are protected and that they are justly recognized in our society,” DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo said.

Walk for legal adoption

For the official launching of the event, adoptive families from DSWD-accredited child placement agencies and field offices (FOs) from the National Capital Region (NCR) and IV-CALABARZON will gather and participate in the “Walk for Legal Adoption” parade which will be held at the Quezon City Memorial Circle on February 11.

On the same day, the kickoff event will be succeeded by a press conference with legal adoption experts, advocates, and adoptive families to discuss the significance of legal adoption in safeguarding the best interest of adopted children.

The DSWD with partner agencies will also open Adoption Help Desks with partner government agencies and selected malls in the following areas:

Aside from public help desks, an adoption forum will be held on February 17 at the DILG Main Office which will be attended by DILG staff, Officers of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC), selected heads of barangays and City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office.

No to simulation of birth

Meanwhile, Sec. Taguiwalo also called on other national and local government agencies involved in the process of legal adoption to strengthen inter-agency coordination and advocacy to prevent simulation of birth.

“Under the law, simulation of birth is a criminal offense because it deprives the child to know his/her true identity. We do not want this to continue so we urge our partner agencies to help us promote legal adoption and to ensure efficiency in processing adoption cases so that prospective adoptive parents will not be discouraged to undergo with the legal process,” said the Secretary.

Those guilty of simulating birth or tampering of the civil registry of a child will be imprisoned for six years and one day to 12 years, and/or pay a fine not exceeding P50,000.

Spread compassion through legal adoption

From 2009 to 2016, the Department has already issued 5,681 Certification Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA) and matched some 1,409 children to local adoptive families.

During the same period, the Intercountry Adoption Board (ICAB) received a total of 3,799 children cleared for inter-country adoption and 3,517 children matched for inter-country adoption.

“We call on the public to help us spread compassion and love for the children who are still waiting to have their own families by sharing your time and resources to them,” appealed Sec. Taguiwalo.

The Secretary also encouraged the public to participate in the annual celebration by using the official hashtag of the event, “#adoptionislove” and by supporting the Department’s advocacy to end discrimination on adopted children and to promote legal adoption. ###