ARRU Head, Alicia Advincula, during the Adoption Forum in Baybay, Leyte.Tacloban City, March 5 – The adoption process now takes a shorter time than before, revealed Alicia Advincula, the Adoption Resource and Referral Unit (ARRU) Head of the DSWD Field Office Eight, to some 25 adoptive couples, local social workers, and medical social workers gathered in a one – day Adoption Forum held late February in Baybay, Leyte.

In said Adoption Forum, the ARRU Head stressed that the DSWD has undertaken the role, originally handled by the court, of issuing the certification declaring a child legally available for adoption. “In other words, the nature of proceedings has shifted from judicial to administrative, making the adoption process quicker and easier,” Advincula pointed out.

On the other hand, DSWD Field Office Eight Director Leticia Diokno revealed that the transfer of responsibility is by virtue of Republic Act 9523, which became effective in year 2009. She further bared that the certification is a prerequisite for all adoption proceedings, be it domestic or inter – country adoption.

Diokno also reported that the Field Office is strengthening its campaign by holding fora on Adoption regionwide, especially for the benefit of prospective adoptive couples, for them to be able to understand better the whole procedure. Attendance to said forum is also a requirement before the filing of petition takes place, she said.

As per ARRU records, there were a total of 63 adoption cases filed last year.