CEBU CITY – Adoption and alternative child care process is now streamlined into the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) and no longer a judicial process, according to the officials of RACCO-7 in a Kapihan sa PIA forum, June 18 on the topic about adoption, in line with the 3rd Adoption and Alternative Child Care Week (AACCW) celebration in June this year.
Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO-7) Legal Officer, Atty. Jewel Jade Famor-Alberca discussed the overview of RA-11642 and the promotion and dissemination of information on the law which removed the judicial process of adoption, making the adoption process easier and less costly, and she also discuss the legal consequences for independent placement and ‘baby selling’.
Alberca cited Republic Act 1162 that establishes the NACC as a one-stop quasi-judicial agency under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) mandated to exercise all powers and functions relating to alternative child care including declaring a child is legally available for both domestic administrative adoption and intercountry adoption, foster care, kinship care, family-like care, and residential care.
Alberca said, this law ensures the order of adoption process and the one-year post-placement services provided by NACC-RACCO in partnership with the Central Adoptive Parents Association that ensures that adoptive families have community support and legal adoption assistance.
“We emphasize the importance of adoptive parents journeying with their child throughout their lifetime, acknowledging the non-biological relationship, and the need for effort from both adoptive parents, especially during record celebration,” Alberca added.
Alberca also highlighted the close collaboration with local government and child caring agencies to uphold legal adoption and the importance of every child having a loving, nurturing, and safe home.
On Independent placement and legal processes
RACCO-7 Social Welfare Officer from the Domestic Administrative Adoption Unit, Tracee Guinyawan talked about the possibility of independent placement and the importance of logging online and underscored the important role of attorneys and the rejection of certain deals.
Guinyawan highlights the public’s object to legal processes and the implications of qualified trafficking, which can result in life imprisonment, and mentions the importance of reaching out to social media programs and simplifying the process.
“We reiterate the need to discourage independent placement, the potential consequences of independent placement on various parties involved. We encourage prospective adoptive parents to go for the legal process of adoption through NACC-RACCO to simplify the process,” Guinyawan stated.
Legal adoption is a powerful act of love responsibility, and protection. It ensures the future and protection of the child, as well as the adoptive parents, Guinyawan added and highlighted the risks associated with undocumented adoption, including the loss of identity and vulnerability for the child.
“It is important that prospective adoptive parents go through the proper legal adoption process to secure the child's education, inheritance, and emotional well-being. Legal adoption now extends to immediate families, not just the adoptive parents and the need for prospective adoptive parents and immediate families to be mentally and emotionally prepared,” she added.
NACC-RACCO celebrates 3rd Adoption and Alternative Child Care Week (AACCW)
RACCO-7 Social Welfare Officer, Jeraldine Mendoza shared at the Kapihan that Section 57 of RA-11642, or the "Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act" designates every second week of June of every year for the observance of the Adoption and Alternative Child Care Week (AACCW) nationwide.
“AACCW advocates and promotes legal adoption and alternative child care for Filipino children who need the stability and the loving arms of a family. This year’s theme, Hope and Home for Every Child, underscores the importance of our mission and the need for continued public action to capture legal adoption and other methods of alternative child care,” Mendoza said.
The NACC with its 16 Regional Alternative Child Care Offices (RACCOs) and its partner LGUs conducted nationwide the BISIG-Kleta and Fun Run for a Cause on June 14 with over 6,300 participants such as adoption and foster care families, support groups, advocates, and child welfare experts.
In Cebu, adoption and foster care mall show and coffee table discussions and forums were held on June 11 and help desks are set up at SM Seaside City Cebu, SM City Cebu and SM City Consolacion to give potential clients easier access to information in adoption and alternative child care on June 21-22 and June 28-29, 2025.
Mendoza capped the Kapihansa PIA discussion with RACCO’s accomplishments statistics with 166 certificates issued declaring a child legally available for adoption (CDCLAA) and 136 issued orders for adoption with 121 for domestic administrative adoption and 15 simulated birth rectification acts.
RACCO-7 has registered 84 children matched to adoptive families; 68 foster children under foster care and there are now 62 licensed foster parents. Mendoza bared.
NACC Undersecretary, Janella Bjercito Estrada, in her message at the opening of AACC Week on June 11 said, "Let us give hope and home for every abandoned, neglected, dependent, surrendered, foundlings, orphaned, abused, and exploited children. We encourage everyone to go out and participate in our nationwide AACCW celebration.”
(Photos: MBCNewman & NACC-FB/Google Images)
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