To officially kick off the 2017 Adoption Consciousness Celebration (ACC), hundreds of participants from various child-caring organizations, adoptive families, adoption advocates and national and local government agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), joined the “Walk for Legal Adoption” last February 11, 2017 at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

The activity showcased the theme: “Pagmamahal Palaganapin, Legal na Pag-aampon Ating Gawin! (Spread Unconditional Love through Legal Adoption),” and is a part of the year-round advocacy to raise public awareness on the importance of legal adoption.

For the second part of the kick off celebration, participants of the event gathered to watch adopted children showcase their special talents and listen to adoptive parents as they shared their unique adoption stories to the crowd.

Encourage legal adoption

Immediately after the kick off celebration, a press conference on legal adoption was led by DSWD Protective Services Bureau (PSB) Director Ma. Alicia Bonoan, NORFIL Foundation Inc. Executive Director Ma. Teresa Nuqui and Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF) Executive Director Marilyn Manuel to provide an in-depth discussion on the legal adoption process in the Philippines.

Aside from the process, Dir. Bonoan also warned the public on the repercussions of birth simulation and the DSWD’s plan to help create adoption support groups.

Moreover, adoptive parents Wowie and Joy Wong, Romeo and Maritess Brosas and celebrity couple Jimmy and LJ Alapag shared their legal adoption journey and encouraged the public to help eradicate the stigma on adoption.

Meanwhile in a separate statement, DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo expressed her full support to the activity and thanked all the participants who joined the event.

“Strengthening the campaign on legal adoption is one the priority programs of our Protective Services Bureau. This 2017, we plan to hold various activities for the whole year to encourage more families to support abandoned, neglected and surrendered Filipino children through foster care and legal adoption,” said Sec. Taguiwalo.

“We want to make the process of legal adoption more accessible to families who want to adopt. Children who have been abandoned should be given all the help they need so they have a very good chance of finding families who will love them and care for them all their lives. Legal adoption is a process that will help guarantee that abandoned children will end up with the right families, and the children’s own rights are protected,” she said.

“We thank everyone for joining the launch and hope that you continue to help us raise awareness about the advocacy so that we can help decrease the number of abandoned Filipino children and provide them with a loving and secured family,” the Secretary ended. ###