The City Government of Isabela in Basilan province has taken a significant step toward enhancing child protection services by formalizing a partnership with the National Authority for Child Care (NACC). The memorandum of agreement was signed on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, marking a collaborative effort to improve alternative care options for vulnerable children across the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Strengthening Child Protection Systems
This partnership represents a major advancement in addressing the needs of children who have been abandoned, neglected, orphaned, surrendered, abused, or exploited. According to NACC Undersecretary Janella Ejercito Estrada, the agreement goes beyond ceremonial significance, embodying a shared commitment to protect and nurture children requiring permanent, loving families.
"This MOA marks more than just a ceremonial exchange of signatures but represents a shared commitment to protect, nurture, and secure the future of children in need of permanent and loving families," Estrada emphasized in her statement. She further highlighted the united vision to strengthen adoption and foster care systems, ensuring that no child is left behind when parental authority is lost.
Implementation Framework and Responsibilities
Under the newly established partnership, Isabela City will assume several critical responsibilities through its Local Social Welfare Development Offices (LSWDOs). These include developing a pool of licensed and trained foster parents, facilitating Parenting Capability Assessment Reports, and assisting in preparing and filing Petitions for Adoption along with Certification Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA).
The NACC, operating through the Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) in Zamboanga Peninsula, will provide technical assistance, capacity-building programs, and oversight to ensure petitions are processed within prescribed timelines. This strategic division of responsibilities leverages the LGU's frontline position in public service delivery while benefiting from NACC's specialized expertise.
Specialized Training and Emotional Support
A key component of the capacity-building initiative will focus on Trust-Based, Relational Intervention (TBRI), an approach specifically designed to address the complex needs of children who have experienced neglect, abuse, or early-age trauma. This methodology creates safe, nurturing environments where emotional healing can occur, addressing the psychological impacts of adverse childhood experiences.
Dr. Jaylyn Sahipa, in-charge of RACCO-Zamboanga Peninsula, expressed optimism about the partnership's potential. "This partnership symbolizes our collective action and united vision in promoting the welfare and best interests of every child," she stated. "With the presence and participation of Isabela City, we reinforce our shared commitment to identify, nurture and support the development of more prospective adoptive and foster parents here in Isabela City."
The collaboration between Isabela City and NACC represents a model for local government-national agency partnerships in child protection, potentially serving as a blueprint for similar initiatives across other regions in the Philippines.
