Senate听approves bill听simplifying adoption process on听3rd听谤别补诲颈苍驳听
A BILL听simplifying the adoption process听was approved by the Senate听on third and final reading on Tuesday.听
The Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act of 2021 or Senate Bill听1933 was passed unanimously with 22 affirmative votes.听听
The measure is a consolidation of听two bills听originally authored by Senator Mary Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares听and Senator Ramon B. Revilla, Jr.听
Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, author and sponsor of听the consolidated version,听said the measure seeks to dispense with the听鈥渓engthy process associated with judicial adoption by allowing domestic adoptions via an administrative process.鈥澨听
Under the bill, the waiting time of adoptive parents听would be cut听from years to six to nine months.听听听
Ms. Hontiveros-Baraquel, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, said in a statement that previously,听鈥渙nly 60% of adoption cases in the country are finalized within one year to three years. Some cases take up to four years or longer. Families end up spending hundreds of thousands of pesos in these lengthy proceedings.鈥澨
The provision also mandates a simpler, less-costly administrative process of adoption to be managed by a new government body, the National Authority for Child Care (NACC).听听听听
鈥淭here are thousands of children who have been voluntarily or involuntarily given up by their parents due to poverty, negligence, abuse, a death in the family, or many other reasons. But thank God that there are others who wish to step up, adopt children, and provide them with a loving home,鈥澨齭aid Ms. Poe-Llamanzares in a manifestation on Tuesday.听听
鈥淗owever, the adoption process has not always been easy. And just as it takes a village to raise a child, today, we have seen that it takes a village of senators to produce a bill that we can all be proud of,鈥澨齭he added.听听
Procedural safeguards are included in the bill to protect the child鈥檚 welfare, such as the requirement of a home study and case study by a social worker for each application for adoption. The bill also penalizes abuse and exploitation of children as well as simulation of birth听or听the fictitious registration of the birth of a child under a person not their biological parent.听听
Ms. Poe said the bill, if passed into law,听may encourage听adults听to pursue adoption.听The bill will听鈥渕inimize costs,听declog听the courts and help the 4,943 Filipino children under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development who are still waiting for a permanent home,鈥澨齭he said.听鈥斕鼳lyssa Nicole O. Tan听
