More and more couples from around the world are now all eyes with love for Filipino children that are legally available for adoption.

Recently, two couples from Indiana, United States of America, and Zaragosa, Spain visited the Regional Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC) to finally meet their adopted children.

RSCC is a residential facility for children under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The children-residents whose age range from zero to seven years old are declared open for adoption.

Under Republic Act 8043, also known as the Inter-Country Adoption Act of 1998, an alien or a Filipino citizen permanently residing abroad may file an application for inter-country adoption of a Filipino child under certain qualifications that uphold the welfare and rights of the Filipino child. Among them is that the adopter must be at least twenty-seven (27) years of age and at least sixteen (16) years older than the child to be adopted and If he or she is married, his/her spouse must jointly file for the adoption;

With the capacity to act and assume all rights and responsibilities of parental authority under his national laws, the adopter shall undergo appropriate counseling from an accredited counselor in his/her country;

Moreover, the foreign adopter must also come from a country with whom the Philippines has diplomatic relations and whose government maintains a similarly authorized and accredited agency and that adoption is allowed under his/her national laws;

If found qualified, the adopter may file for adoption with the Philippine Regional Trial Court having jurisdiction over the child, or with the Inter-Country Adoption Board, through an intermediate agency, whether governmental or an authorized and accredited agency, in the country of the prospective adoptive parents.

Adoption has been one of the processes being actively advocated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The policy of the State is to provide every neglected and abandoned child with a family that will provide such child with love and care as well as opportunities for growth and development.

Written by Delia Maravillosa, Social Officer II, and Charmaine P. Tadlas, Regional Information Officer