“It is important for an adopted child to feel he/she is truly loved, na anak silang totoo (that they are true children) wanted by the families who adopted them.”
This was the gist of the message of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman during the signing of a memorandum of agreement among DSWD, Department of Education (DepEd), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Health (DOH) held last week at Sequoia Hotel, pushing for the intensified advocacy of legal adoption.
Sec. Soliman also underscored that although there are child-caring institutions, having a loving family and stable home is vital for every child.
“A houseparent in a child care residential facility with 10 or more children…cannot hug all of them at the same time, only parents can do that,” the Secretary stated, citing a study that a person needs 20 hugs a day to make him or her feel whole and stable.
On the other hand, DepEd Sec. Armin Luistro said, “ choice to love an adopted child challenges all of us.”
He expressed his gratitude to Sec. Soliman for including DepEd and other national agencies in the campaign for legal adoption.
“Informing the public about legal adoption will help clear the air about so many misconceptions and prejudices against adopted children,” Sec. Luistro added. “A couple wanting to have a child should really go through the legal adoption process to protect the child’s best interest.”
Sec. Luistro said it is important to share the message, “Ang tunay na “totoo” ay galing sa puso, hindi lang yung galing sa pusod.” (“Genuine” children are born from the heart and not only from the womb.)
He added that parents’ love for an adopted child is no different from love for a biological child.
Agency commitments
The agreement signed by the officials specifies the responsibilities of each agency in ensuring that all schools, local government units, and health and medical facilities are made aware of the importance of legal adoption.
For instance, DepEd shall include adoption and other forms of alternative family care and child placement as a subject matter in the school curriculum in all levels.
The DILG, on the other hand, shall supervise and guide the LGUs in ensuring that all surrendered, neglected, and/or abandoned children in their barangay/city/municipality/province be assessed and declared legally available for adoption by the DSWD before placement for adoption.
For its part, DOH shall ensure that all health and medical facilities have competent and trained professionals who will report to the DSWD and appropriate authorities. They will also provide services needed by children and parents who are at risk of or in a situation of abandoning and surrendering their children for adoption. Likewise, DOH shall establish, sustain, and monitor the system of reporting abandoned, abused, and neglected children in lying-in clinics or hospitals.
Adoption journey
During the program, adoptive parent Gil Velez shared his story with a moving audio visual presentation of their journey towards legally adopting Rafa and his sister, Angel.
Gil and his wife Cecille decided to adopt to have a child to love, nourish, and care for.
Through the Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF), a DSWD accredited child-caring agency, the arrival of Rafa and Angel in their lives “brought immeasurable joy.”
“Being a parent means loving your children more than you’ve ever loved yourself,” he said.
The agreement signing and opening of a photo exhibit showcasing the joys of adoptive families with their children ushered in the week-long observance of Adoption Consciousness Week from February 17-24 with the theme, “Legal na Ampon Ako, Anak na Totoo” (A Child Finds Worth in Adoption). ###
