Online baby selling resurges despite tighter laws

CEBU, Philippines — Authorities are closely monitoring the resurgence of online baby selling in the country, despite intensified crackdowns and the implementation of Republic Act 11642, which aims to make legal adoption faster and more accessible.

The National Authority for Child Care (NACC) raised the concern during a press conference last week, revealing a concerning rise in Facebook groups involved in the illicit trade, signaling that syndicates continue to exploit digital platforms to evade authorities.

According to the agency, 23 Facebook groups offering babies for sale were documented in 2024. In Central Visayas, RACCO-7 and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-7 monitored at least five Facebook pages last year linked to online baby selling, with reported prices ranging from P3,000 to P10,000 and higher.

This number of Facebook groups dropped to just four by April this year, following rigorous monitoring and takedown efforts.

However, the number has since tripled to 12 groups, with operators repeatedly renaming and recreating pages to escape law enforcement scrutiny.

The NACC stressed that the passage of RA 11642 was intended to make legal adoption faster and more accessible. Since the transfer of adoption oversight from the DSWD to the NACC, 634 certifications have been issued declaring children legally available for adoption, including 68 cases in Central Visayas.

“There is no reason to resort to illegal adoption. All government programs and services on adoption and alternative child care have been made simpler, faster, and less costly because the NACC does not collect any fees in relation to adoption and foster care,” said NACC Undersecretary Janella Ejercito Estrada.

Online baby selling typically involves individuals or groups who offer infants for sale or “informal adoption” through secretive Facebook groups.

These posts often include photos and basic information about the child, with further negotiations moving to private messaging platforms where illegal transactions occur. Middlemen sometimes act as brokers, complicating efforts to trace the original sellers.

Further, Estrada emphasized that illegal adoption directly endangers the welfare of children. Babies trafficked online are at risk of exploitation, including sexual abuse, forced labor, or organ trafficking.

As such, the NACC is urging the public, particularly Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs), to avoid informal adoptions and report any suspicious activity online.

Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center (PNP-WCPC) Assistant Director PCol. Isagani Fetizanan echoed this concern, underscoring how social media is being exploited to facilitate the crime.

“The rise of digital platforms has enabled unscrupulous individuals to exploit vulnerable infants, turning them into commodities in an illegal trade,” Fetizanan said.

As of May 31, the PNP-WCPC has conducted 13 operations, rescuing six children and arresting 14 suspects involved in illegal adoptions and child selling. These individuals face charges under the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022 (RA 11862) and the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act (RA 7610).

Convicted offenders face 12 to 20 years of imprisonment and corresponding fines.

Fetizanan added that their strategy is a two-pronged approach. “It begins with rescue and ends in prosecution," he explained.

He also warned parents to be cautious when posting photos of their children online, as these can be exploited by criminals for fraudulent baby selling schemes.

To address the growing problem, the NACC is coordinating with 16 Regional Alternative Child Care Offices (RACCOs), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). These agencies are working together to monitor online activity, rescue victims, and prosecute perpetrators.

Rowena Macalintal, NACC secretary for operations and services, said an inter-agency committee has been actively conducting entrapment operations aimed at catching those behind the illegal activities.

Central Visayas, meanwhile, ranks third in the country in terms of abandoned children, with 25 recorded cases from 2023 to 2025.

The National Capital Region tops the list with 57 cases, followed by Region IV-A with 29. Nationally, 747 children were surrendered, 232 abandoned, 220 neglected, and 220 classified as foundlings within the same period.

Concepcion Solera, officer-in-charge of RACCO-7, confirmed that Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City are common hotspots for online baby selling.

In March 2025, a newborn was sold for ?30,000 by the mother in Cebu City. The case is currently under investigation by the Inter-Agency Council Against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children.

“So far naa gihapon gyud siya, makita gihapon nato siya sa Facebook, pero gipahingusgan namo siya karun in coordination with inter-agencies and councils sa pag monitor ug pag trace aning mga pages,” said Solera.

“Panawagan lang gyud namo kay moagi ta sa legal adoption kay dali na ang proseso ani. Naa ta’y ahensiya na mo proseso sa pag adopt, ang gusto pud namo i-sibya sa mga tawo kay dili tanan bata na ila makita kay available for adoption, kailangan moadto ta sa atoang local offices,” Solera added.

She also noted that most of the infants featured in monitored online postings were between 0 to 5 months old.

The NACC continues to promote legal adoption under RA 11642, or the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act of 2022.

This law transforms the adoption process into a purely administrative procedure handled by the NACC and its regional offices, eliminating the need to go through the courts.

PAPs may now file petitions directly with their local RACCOs. Social workers conduct home studies and provide counseling to ensure the child’s best interest.

If all requirements are complete, the NACC may issue an adoption order within 60 days—free of court fees. Each petition is also published for three consecutive weeks before final approval to ensure transparency.

Previously, the adoption process could take three to seven years. Under RA 11642, the process is now faster, more affordable, and guided by professional social workers. (CEBU NEWS)