The Antipolo City local government conducted a forum for its residents aimed at discussing the changes in the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act of 2022 which outlines the necessary procedures and requirements needed for child adoption.

(Photo from Mayor Jun Ynares)

"Dati kapag mag-aampon ka, sandamakmak na procedures at requirements ang kailangan pagdaanan… kaya madalas, may mga hindi nagtutuloy o kaya naman papasok na lang sa iligal na paraan (Before you can adopt a child, you must undergo a lot of procedures and submit a number of requirements to legally adopt. Hence, some adoption cases fail while others adopt illegally)," Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares said.

Now, by virtue of RA 11642 or the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act of 2022, married couples and families can now adopt kids in a more reasonable and efficient manner.

RA 11642 took effect on January 28, 2022 with the goal of making domestic adoption proceedings simpler and less costly. The law also seeks to streamline alternative child care services.

During the forum, the city government tackled the different kinds of adoption such as relative, step-parent, and adult adoption.

"Sa bagong batas, ang lahat ng adoption cases ay magiging administrative ang mga proceeding at hindi na dadaan sa korte. Binuo rin ang National Authority for Child Care (NACC) na siyang mag i-issue ng order of adoption at certificate of finality na dating nanggagaling pa sa korte (In the new law, all adoption cases will be under administrative proceedings and will no longer be brought to court. The national government had also created the National Authority for Child Care who will issue the order of adoption and certificate of finality. All of these were previously issued by the court)," Ynares explained.

"As a Child-Friendly City and a recipient of the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance Award from the Council for the Welfare of Children, tulong-tulong po tayo sa pagsusulong ng isang child-inclusive, child-sensitive, child-friendly at child-empowering Antipolo City (As a Child-Friendly City and a recipient of Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance Award from the Council for the Welfare of Children, let's all work together to promote a child-inclusive, child-sensitive, child-friendly, and child-empowering Antipolo City)," he added.

In an En Banc Resolution, the Court adopted the recommendations of the Committee on Family Courts and Juvenile Concerns as follows:

1. Upon effectivity of RA 11642, courts may no longer receive or accept petitions for domestic adoption. Jurisdiction over domestic adoption cases shall now be with the newly created National Authority for Child Care (NACC), a quasi-judicial agency attached to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

2. Adoptions proceedings are now administrative.

3. Petitioners have the option to immediately withdraw judicial petitions for domestic adoption pending in court, regardless of the stage of the proceedings. Otherwise, the courts shall continue to hear and decide such petitions.

4. The courts shall give petitioners time to manifest their intent to withdraw. If petitioners fail to notify the court within the set period, they are considered to have waived the option to withdraw their petitions.

5. Petitioners, and their respective counsels, who avail of the benefits of RA 11642 without first withdrawing their pending petitions before the courts shall be sanctioned under the Rules of Court.

6. Domestic adoption provisions in the Rule on Adoption are now rendered ineffective except for pending domestic cases before the courts not withdrawn by petitioners.

7. Rescission of adoption under Section 47 of RA 11642 covers judicial adoptions.

8. Inter-country adoption petitions pending before the courts pursuant to Part B of the Rule on Adoption shall be dismissed.

9. All courts are required to submit to the Office of the Court Administrator a list and status report of all pending adoption cases, including archived cases.