Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) stresses a point at the opening ceremony of the 15th Philippine Global Consultation on Child Welfare Services. (photo from DSWD website)
A global consultation conference on child welfare was held last month to enhance the implementation of inter-country adoption.
Spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and its allied agency, the Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB), the biennial forum was participated in by legal adoption experts, representatives of various foreign embassies, and members of local and international child-rearing and placement institutions.
The event served as a venue to discuss and review policies that will safeguard the best interest of Filipino children who are about to be subjected to inter-country adoption.
Serving as a keynote speaker, DSWD Secretary and ICAB Chairperson Rolando Joselito D. Bautista stressed, “We should ensure that our children are placed in the most ideal of conditions for them to access opportunities for their growth.”
Meanwhile, DSWD-Bicol, through social welfare officer Marion Taduran, warned couples not to adopt through fictitious registration of a child’s birth under non-biological parents since “simulation of birth is a crime”.
She explained, “We recommend legalizing the adoption of a child since we want to protect the best interest of the child.”
Violators could be imprisoned from six to 12 years and pay a fine of between P50,000 to P200,000. (Jojo Mangahis)