Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Elaine Fallarcuna of the agency’s International Affairs, Attached and Supervised Agencies (IAASA) participates in the Consultation Meeting with Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) Dr. Christophe Bernasconi and the Philippine Central Authorities of HCCH Conventions on Thursday (May 15) at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Pasay City.

Asst. Secretary Fallarcuna discussed the progress and shared good practices in the implementation of the HCCH International Child Support Convention which seeks to establish a modern, efficient and accessible system for the cross border recovery of child support and other forms of family maintenance.

The DSWD as the PH Central Authority on Child Support Convention facilitates the incoming and outgoing cases of international child support to and from the contracting states.

Other PH Central Authorities present during the meeting were the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) for the Inter-Country Adoption Convention; the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the Child Abduction Convention; the DFA for the Apostille Convention; the Supreme Court – Office of Court Administrator (SC-OCA) for the Service and Evidence Convention.

Also present in the meeting as Philippine Representatives to the International Hague Network of Judges were Associate Justice Angelene Mary Sale of the Court of Appeals (CA) and Presiding Judge Sita Jose-Clemente of the Bulacan Regional Trial Court.

The DSWD-HCCH International Child Support Secretariat can be reached through its official email address childsupport@dswd.gov.ph.(MBM)