DSWD spearheads staging of inter-country adoption meet
By Ellalyn de Vera Ruiz
Legal adoption experts, foreign diplomats, and representatives of local and international child-caring and child placement institutions have gathered together in Manila to further boost public awareness on the process of inter-country adoption.
Led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB), the 15th Philippine Global Consultation on Child Welfare Services anchored on the theme, “Identifying the Needs of Children in Inter-country Adoption.”
The global consultation, which takes place every other year, serves as a platform to discuss and review policies and procedures to ensure that the best interest of Filipino children who are up for inter-country adoption will be prioritized and upheld.
DSWD Secretary and ICAB chair Rolando Joselito Bautista led the event and served as the keynote speaker.
Bautista highlighted the importance of ensuring that the best interest of children should prevail in any adoption process.
“We should ensure that our children are placed in the most ideal of conditions for them to access opportunities for their growth. Let us avoid the mistake of placing children in a situation where their needs will not be addressed,” he said.
He added that inter-country adoption policies and programs must be well-grounded in order to guarantee that the children and prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) from both receiving and sending states will be well-prepared.
“As we continue forwarding the best interests of our children, I can assure you that the Philippines, through the Inter-country Adoption Board, is more driven to continue its efforts in improving the quality of our services and fulfilling our commitments in line with the 1993 Hague Convention,” he pointed out.
“Our mission does not end with policy formulation. As long as there is still a child in need of a loving and secure home, we will not stop,” he added.
From 2009 to 2018, DSWD said a total of 4,425 children were already cleared for inter-country adoption.
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