Photo 1: Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary for Special Concerns Virginia Orogo (far right) joins DSWD Protective Services Bureau (PSB) Director. Ma. Alicia Bonoan (far left) and Intercountry Adoption Board (ICAB) Executive Director Atty. Bernadette Abejo as they present a certificate of appreciation to NORFIL Foundation Executive Director Ma. Teresa Nuqui for presenting the issues and concerns on foster care service during the Consultation Dialogue with Foreign Embassies and other Stakeholders on Adoption and Foster Care at the AIM Conference Center.
Photo 2: Participants from national government agencies, foreign embassies, accredited child-placement agencies, and adoptive and foster parents cap off the consultation dialogue with a photo opportunity to show their commitment to improve the process of legal adoption in the Philippines.

As the lead government agency responsible for providing alternative family care to neglected, surrendered and abandoned children, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) held a consultation dialogue with foreign embassies and other government agencies to improve the process of legal adoption and foster care.

Last week, a total of 60 participants from the Australian Embassy, New Zealand Embassy, British Embassy, Canadian Embassy, French Embassy, Italian Embassy, Spanish Embassy, and US Embassy attended the consultation dialogue with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Intercountry Adoption Board (ICAB), accredited child-placement agencies, adoptive and foster parents, and nearby DSWD Field Offices (FOs) at the AIM Conference Center in Makati City to discuss matters on how to improve the procedures for the implementation of Alternative Parental Care Programs.

The activity was also graced by DSWD Undersecretary for Exigent Concerns, Camilo Gudmalin and DSWD Undersecretary for Special Concerns and ICAB Alternate Chairperson, Virginia N. Orogo.

During the discussion, the participants recommended the need for an effective system of monitoring to prevent abduction cases and to improve the coordination among agencies and foreign embassies to fast track the adoption process and the granting of passport, visa and travel clearance requirements to minimize the overstaying of children in institutions.

Moreover, the DSWD made clarifications that foreign individuals who are now immigrants in the Philippines may be allowed to go through the domestic adoption process if there is no intention for the child to acquire the nationality of the foreign prospective adoptive parent/s (PAP/s) and if the country of origin of the PAP/s can provide a certification of legal capacity to adopt and other necessary requirements under  Republic Act No. 8552 or the Domestic Adoption Act.

From 2009 to May 29, 2017, the DSWD has already issued a total of 5,998 Certification Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA) to neglected, surrendered and abandoned children, while a total of 1,274 children, who are already legally available for adoption are still waiting for matching/for approval of placement.

During the same period, the DSWD has cleared a total of 3,492 children for possible inter-country adoption placement by the ICAB.

Meanwhile, DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo said that a technical working group (TWG) was created to study possible amendments related to the adoption laws in the country, as well as, amendments to  Memorandum Circular No. 7 Series of 2015 or the Omnibus Guidelines on Domestic Adoption Process.

“The social welfare agency is continuously consulting stakeholders to improve the foster care and legal adoption program of the country. We want to ensure that there is an efficient and effective mechanism to monitor the status of children in child caring institutions and those under foster care,” she said.

“Moreover, we want to engage the public to help us ensure the protection of children through the legal adoption process by intensifying our advocacy work. With the combined efforts and commitments offered by our partner agencies and organizations, we hope to provide safety and security for both adopted children and their adoptive parents,” the Secretary ended. ###