The National Authority for Child Care (NACC) in Central Visayas reports that illegal child adoption and selling persist despite legal reforms that made adoption faster and free. Concepcion Solera, NACC Central Visayas head, said unauthorized adoption continues through direct placement deals and social media modus operandi.
Illegal Practices Continue Online and Offline
Solera explained that some people still resort to illegal adoption because they want a child immediately or mistakenly believe online transactions are easier than legal processes. Social media has turned child selling into a seemingly ordinary online buy-and-sell activity, exposing aspiring adoptive parents to scammers and putting children at risk of trafficking.
Legal Adoption Under RA 11642
Under Republic Act 11642, or the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act, domestic adoption has been transferred from courts to the NACC. Adoption no longer requires lawyers or court hearings. In Central Visayas, an adoption order can be issued within about 11 months from filing a petition.
Solera cited a recent case where a child in Central Visayas was rescued through an operation coordinated by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, after the case was reported by the Cebu City Social Welfare and Development Office in Guadalupe. The child's biological parents were arrested.
Monitoring and Prevention
The NACC is monitoring 23 Facebook pages nationwide suspected of promoting child selling and illegal adoption. Solera emphasized that legal adoption is free, and anyone asking for money is not following the legal process. Single individuals, married couples, and LGBTQIA+ community members can apply to adopt, subject to social worker assessment.
Solera stressed that poverty alone should not be a reason to give up a child, as adoption remains a last resort when keeping the child in the family is still possible.
