Deepening stigma on adoption

ADOPTIVE PARENTS from the Adoptive Families Foundation would like to voice their concerns about media reports as well as statements made in live interviews where an adoptee’s biological parents were referred to as the child’s “real parents” or “tunay na magulang.”

This terminology is inaccurate and prejudicial because adopting through legal channels is an authentic and valid way to forge a parent-and-child relationship. There is nothing “unreal” about that bond. We assert that parents who raise and care for a child into adulthood, those who are legally responsible for the adoptee’s proper development deserve the designation of “real parents.” In addition, the term “ampon lang” is highly inappropriate when referring to an adoptee, as its use deepens the social stigma on adoption.

This social stigma is reinforced by many unfair practices in the Philippines that put adoptive parents at a disadvantage, such as the absence of a maternity and paternity leave for the adoptive parents during the critical first few weeks with the child. These laws should be reviewed to put adoptive parents on equal footing with other parents.

With regard to the debate on Sen. Grace Poe’s nationality, we state our opposition to the belief expressed by some that there is legal basis for considering a foundling stateless. Once a child is declared a foundling, and after the legal adoption decree is issued, he or she will automatically take on the adoptive parents’ nationality. This is a basic and universal tenet in adoption that is followed in all countries, even when the children clearly come from another country.

The focus on finding Senator Poe’s biological parents to determine if she is a natural-born Filipino is misguided because the nationality of Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces should be the basis of her nationality.

—ANTONIA SIY, trustee,

Adoptive Families

Foundation Inc.,

affphil@yahoo.com