MAMBUSAO, Capiz -The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI has recorded its first approved Administrative Adoption case filed under RA 11222 or the Simulated Birth Rectification Act in Mambusao, Capiz recently.

Republic Act No. 11222 (R.A. 11222) entitled, “An Act Allowing the Rectification of Simulated Birth Records and Prescribing Administrative Adoption Proceedings for the Purpose”, was signed into law on 21 February 2019 and took effect on 29 March 2019, fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette. Its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) was approved on 7 October 2019 and took effect on 10 December 2019 and will remain in effect until 29 March 2029.

DSWD-6 through its Adoption Resource and Referral Unit officially endorsed the Order of Adoption and Certificate of Finality to the couple petitioners Jose Liba and Jelly Liba of Mambusao Capiz on November 8, 2021, with the presence of the handling Social Workers of the said municipality.

Regional Director Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre, said, “this is our first approved case under RA 11222 in the region.” Simulation of birth refers to cases wherein a child’s record is tampered to make it appear that he/she was born to someone other than his/her biological mother,” she added.

Macapobre stressed that with the new law, it grants an amnesty to the adoptive parents from any criminal liability if they express intent to legalize the adoption and to correct the simulated birth of the child which covers simulated birth up to March 29, 2019.

“With this law, the rights, status and filiation of a child will be fixed and grants the benefits of adoption. We are continuously encouraging couples, who are considering child adoption, to undergo the legal procedures,” Macapobre said.

The petitioners, on the other hand, have also expressed their thankfulness and gratitude for the Government’s privilege through the RA 11222.

“We are very thankful to the government and to DSWD for facilitating the legalization of our adoption to our child. We know well that what we did is against the law. Now that we have the approved papers for our child, we can assure that he could be legally recognized as our son and as our beneficiary. Filing under RA 11222, we can say that we are now an abiding citizen and can now sleep at night without any guilt or liability from the government on what we have done in the past, “said Mr. Liba.

DSWD-6 strongly calls for parents who simulated a birth record of the child to come into open to correct and adopt the child whom they treated as their own. This year, the agency has already recorded 2 Administrative Adoption cases approved under RA 11222 nationwide./dswd6/MerryJezzelBrendia/

Department of Social Welfare and Development

Philippine Information Agency Region VI

PAPA (Panay Adoptive Parents Association)