New law requires DSWD certification in adoption

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo has signed into law a bill that will speed up the process of adoption in the country.

Republic Act 9523, or an act requiring certification of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to declare a child legally available for adoption as a prerequisite for adoption proceedings, will simplify the procedures by transferring the declaration of abandonment of children from the courts to the DSWD.

The DSWD explained that under the present system, the courts need around one to three years after a six-month grace period before a declaration of abandonment can be issued.

The grace period, the time provided by the law to child-caring agencies to locate the parents of the child, has been shortened from six to three months

Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral noted that the nature of the proceeding has also been changed from judicial to administrative.

Under the administrative procedure, the declaration that a child is legally free for adoption will take 24 days from the date of filing of petition with the DSWD.

Sen. Ma. Ana Consuelo Madrigal, one of the principal authors of the bill, welcomed the new law, saying it is a step towards helping uplift the lives of abandoned, neglected, and surrendered children.