In the recently held 13th Philippine Global Consultation on Child Welfare Services, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman expressed her gratitude and admiration to all local and foreign delegates for their important work in caring for children.

The Secretary added that the participants take part in the significant vocation of not just providing homes for the abandoned, dependent, neglected children, but also in “giving them access to the most basic rights, to include love and familial care.”

The Philippine Global Consultation, held every two years, is an initiative of DSWD which began in 1993, and is being continued by the Intercountry-Adoption Board (ICAB), an attached agency of the Department.  Foreign delegates from the United States, Canada, Asia Pacific, and Europe as well as local child caring agencies participated in this year’s Global Consultation.

The activity that bannered the theme, “Adoption: A Lifelong Journey and Commitment,” focused on the journey of adoptive parents and their adoptive children.

Journey to love a child

“The starting point of this journey is the intense love of a family for their adopted child.  This love is what brings the family through all the challenges and struggles of being a child’s partner in life,” Sec. Soliman stressed.

The Secretary continued, “As facilitators of the adoption process, we are as much a part of the process as they are.”

“Philippine Global Consultation is a much-needed venue to share experiences and lessons about the highs and lows, frustrations and joys of building a family for abandoned and neglected children,” she emphasized.

She urged the participants “to discuss the important ways on how to come up with more potent policies and important legislations for the children, such as the recently passed Foster Care Act.”

In the last two years, 381 children found homes through adoption and 2,065 through foster care.

Venue for learning

The Secretary enjoined all participants to use the activity to learn from one another and focus on giving better opportunities for the needy children.

Ms. Carol Albert of Adopt Abroad, USA, shared that it is the first time they participated in the Philippine Global Consultation.  She commended the organizers for giving her the opportunity to actively participate in the sharing, learning, and interaction activities. “The unique sharing of ideas gave me new learning and knowledge on the best interest of the needy children seeking for adoption,” she further opined.

Charisse Cid of Hospicio de San Jose, likewise, said that she learned a lot, especially about new laws and policies on adoption.

Senator Grace Poe, a child advocate, was the keynote speaker. She shared the importance of caring for the welfare of children, including foundlings, or those who were abandoned.

Among the topics discussed were In-Family Adoption, Special Needs Children-Special Home Finding, Disrupted Placement, Preparation for Adoption, and Social Media’s Role in Post Adoption Services. ###