DSWD Opens Photo Exhibit Depicting Adoptive Families

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) spearheaded on Monday the opening and viewing of a photo exhibit depicting “happy images of adoptive parents and adopted children” for the 2016 Adoption Consciousness Week celebration.

This year’s observance of the Adoption Consciousness Week is set from Feb. 15 to 24 with the theme, “Legal na Ampon Ako: Anak na Totoo” (A Child Finds Worth in Legal Adoption).

The celebration’s theme emphasizes that adopted children have the same rights as the biological ones.

The opening of the photo exhibit was led by DSWD- Protective Services Bureau (PSB) Director Pacita D. Sarino; Rosalie Dagulo, DSWD-PSB Assistant Director; Adoptive Family from Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF) Melissa Moran and Carissa Moran; Bea Marie Palace, Adoptee from Norfill Foundation, and other partner agencies.

The event was held at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Auditorium along Visayas Avenue, Quezon City.

Director Sarino said that the images that are displayed in the photo exhibits convey the messages of “contentment and happiness” on the part of adopted children and adoptive families captured through the photos that narrate the beauty of adoption and doing it in the right or legal way.

“These children were once lost but are now cuddled by the loving parents that they have,” said Sarino as she made descriptive remarks on the exhibited photos aiming to heighten public awareness on the good effects of adoption.

Some of the photos narrate the life-long successful journeys of the adoptive parents and adopted children who have frown up in families that provided them proper nurturing and care and made them realize their true worth even if they are not the biological children.

Director Sarino said that by placing the children to alternative parental care, the adopted children do not only gain new families in the process but are also given the chance to have a new life — which is always a better one.

The photos will also be displayed at selected Ayala Malls, Festival Malls and SM Malls nationwide from Feb. 20 to 21, 2016. There will be adoption help desks that will be put up on the said dates.

The help desks will answer several inquiries about adoption, the types of adoption, requirements for adopting, steps, judicial phase, cost of adoption and other related queries.

Setting up of help desks will also be done in the lobbies of government agencies such as DSWD, Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Health (DOH) for confirmation.

The said agencies partnered with DSWD last year in the advocacy to promote preventive mechanisms to discourage simulation of birth and bullying of adopted children.

“Simulation of birth” is the tampering of the civil registry, making it appear in the birth records that a child is born to a person not his or her biological mother, causing such child to lose his or her true identity and status.

DSWD Secretary Corazon J. Soliman has said legal adoption is the right option because it is for the adopted children’s best interest.

According to her, this act can make a difference in giving these children a chance to live a better life. (PNA) SCS/LSJ