The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Mimaropa in the recent media forum clarified issues concerning simulated birth certificate of persons being committed by their adoptive parents.
Rosalie Preclaro, a DSWD representative explained Republic Act 11222 or the ‘Simulated Birth Rectification Act’ which was signed and implemented as law on February 21, 2019. Through this act, Preclaro said “it is now the right time for the adoptive parents who tampered their child’s birth certificate to correct and thereby legally adopt the child without fear of prosecution.”
“There is an amnesty period of 10 years to do the correction, it started in 2019 until 2029 so that adoptive parents are encouraged to rectify the birth certificate of their children. Violation of records is a criminal offense,” said Preclaro.
In the ‘Simulated Birth Rectification Act,’ the law provides for absolving adoptive parents from tampering with their child’s birth record.
DSWD representative said everyone who committed simulation of birth and who will come forward will not be held criminally, civically and administratively liable so long as they meet all the three requirements, as follows: 1. Living with the child three years from March 29, 2016 or earlier; 2. The simulation was made for the best interest of the child, has been consistently considered and treated by the person/s who simulated the birth as his/her own; and 3. The simulation of birth was done before the effectivity of the law.
On issue of adoption, adoptive parents should undergo matching to the person or child they want to adopt. Only children aged 17 and below can be adopted by the qualified adoptive parents. The DSWD further clarified that adoptive parents cannot choose or directly go to the orphanage and tell the caretakers what they want even though the children are readily available for adoption.
“You cannot go directly to the center and choose from among the children there that you want this child or that child. You can just course your preference to DSWD, say you want a girl or a boy, and we can match you. It’s not simply a matter of selecting from among those children in the center, since it is degrading on the part of the children, and of course we value humans,” Preclaro concluded.
DSWD encourages all adoptive parents especially those without correct records of their adopted children to avail the amnesty period given through the nearest office of DSWD, Municipal Social Welfare Offices or Local Civil Registry Offices to legalize adoption.(Luis T. Cueto/PIA-OrMin)
