STREAMLINED PROCESS. National Authority for Child Care executive director Janella Estrada (center) said in a press conference in Baguio City on Friday (Feb. 23, 2024) that more Filipinos have expressed interest in adopting. She attributed this development to the streamlined system of adoption, which shortened the process to an average of nine months compared to several years in the past. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)
BAGUIO CITY – The National Authority for Child Care (NACC) on Friday said more Filipinos are becoming interested in adoption after the process has been streamlined.
Executive director Janella Estrada, in a press conference here, said the NACC previously processes huge inter-country adoption because there were more foreigners who want to adopt Filipinos.
“Pero dahil dumadami na ang Pilipino na may gustong mag-adopt, hindi na nakaka-process masyado ng inter-country adoption dahil marami na ang Pilipinong interesado (But because there has been an increase in the number of Filipinos who are interested to adopt, we’re not able to process inter-country adoption that much),” she said.
Before the passage of Republic Act 11642, which created the NACC, the adoption process used to go through an administrative process where the adoptive parent approaches the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the matching and placement of a child.
The court will then process the judicial adoption and eventually issues an order of adoption.
With the NACC in place, the trial court stage was discarded.
“It takes about nine months for the whole process to be completed compared to the past when it took years for the order of adoption to be issued due to the tedious process,” Estrada said.
Rose Wacnang Cardenas, an adoptive parent, shared during the press conference that they spent about PHP10,000 for the whole process and brought the child home in four months.
“We are only waiting for the change in the birth certificate of our child,” she said, thanking the Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) for the assistance.
During the same briefing, Imelda Ronda, chief of NACC’s Domestic Adoption Division, said they have 1,424 children declared available for adoption.
Feliza Singlan, officer-in-charge of the RACCO-Cordillera, said they currently have 31 parent applicants, 37 petitions for adoption, 11 approved Orders of Adoption and 17 awaiting orders of adoption.
She said they only have about 10 parent-applicants before the process was simplified.
Aside from adoption, the NACC also handles the placing of children under the foster care of registered families, which will take care of the child from six months to three years before their reintegration into their adoptive families. (PNA)
