ADOPTION the termination of the guardianship and

R.A. 8552: DOMESTIC ADOPTION ACT clearance of his/her financial accountabilities

WHO MAY ADOPT: Any person provided he is: PRE-ADOPTION SERVICES

The DSWD shall provide for the following services:
1. FILIPINO CITIZEN
1. counseling services for the biological parents, prospective parents, and
a. of legal age prospective adoptee
b. in possession of full civil capacity and legal rights 2. exhaust all efforts to locate the biological parents, if unknown
c. of good moral character
d. has not been convicted of anycrime involving moral turpitude, RULE ON ADOPTION BY SPOUSES
emotionally and psychologically capable of caring for children,
e. At least 16 years older than the person to be adopted, unless: GENERAL RULE: Husband and wife shall jointly adopt

i. The adopter is the natural EXCEPTION:

parent of the child to be 1. one spouse seeks to adopt the legitimate son/daughter of the other; or
adopted, or 2. one spouse seeks to adopt his/her own illegitimate son/daughter
3. the spouses are legally separated from each other.
ii. The adopter is the spouse
of the legitimate parent of WHO MAY BE ADOPTED
the person to be adopted
1. Any person below 18 years of age who has been administratively or
f. In possession of full civil capacity and legal rights judicially declared available for adoption;
g. In a position to support and care for his legitimate and illegitimate 2. legitimate son/daughter of one spouse by the other spouse;
children, in keeping with the means of the family 3. illegitimate son/daughter by a qualified adopter to improve his/her status to
that of legitimacy;
2. ALIEN 4. person of legal age if, prior to the adoption, said person has been
consistently considered and treated by the adopter as his/her own child since
a. possessing the same qualifications as above stated for Filipino nationals minority;
b. his/her country has diplomatic relations with the Philippines 5. child whose adoption has been previously rescinded; or
c. he/she has been living in the Philippines for at least 3 continuous years 6. child whose biological or adoptive parents have died provided that no
prior to the filing of the application for adoption and maintains such residence proceedings shall be initiated within 6 months from the time of death of said
until the adoption decree is entered parents.

EXCEPT when: WRITTEN CONSENT NECESSARY FOR ADOPTION: A-BLISS-A

i. a former Filipino citizen who seeks to adopt a relative within the 4 degree
th

of consanguinity or affinity; or 1. Adoptee, if 10 years of age or over;

ii. one who seeks to adopt the legitimate child of his/her Filipino spouse; or 2. Biological parents of the child, if known, or the legal guardian, or the
iii. one who is married to a Filipino citizen and seeks to adopt jointly with proper government instrumentality which has legal custody of the child;
his/her spouse a relative within the 4th degree of consanguinity or affinity of 3. Legitimate children of the adopter, 10 years old or over
the Filipino spouse; or 4. Illegitimate children of the adopter, 10 years old or over and living with him
5. Spouse of the adopted, if married
6. Spouse of the adopter, if married
3. GUARDIAN - with respect to the ward after 7. Adopted children of the adopter, 10 years old or over

Initially Prepared by: Cacatian

 GROUNDS FOR RECISSION OF ADOPTION:
EFFECTIVITY OF DECREE OF ADOPTION MASA
• A decree of adoption effective as of the 1. repeated physical and verbal maltreatment by the adopters despite having
date the original petition was filed. Also undergone counseling
apply in case the petitioner dies before the issuance of the decree of 2. attempt on the life of the adoptee
adoption to protect the interest of the adoptee 3. sexual assault or violence
4. abandonment and failure to comply with parental obligations.
Tamargo v Court of Appeals G.R. No. 85044, June 3, 1992 • Adoption, being in the best interest of the child, shall not be subject to
rescission by the adopter
Where the petition for adoption was granted after • Only the adoptee is given the right to rescind the decree of adoption
the child had shot and killed a girl, the Supreme • However, the adopters may disinherit the adoptee for causes provided in
Court did not consider that retroactive effect may Art. 919 of the NCC
be given to the decree of adoption so as to impose
a liability upon the adopting parents accruing at a EFFECTS OF THE RESCISSION OF THE
time when adopting parents had no actual or ADOPTION:
physically custody over the adopted child. 1. The parental authority of the adoptee's biological parents, if known, OR
Retroactive affect may perhaps be given to the the legal custody of the DSWD shall be restored if the
granting of the petition for adoption where such is adoptee is still a minor or incapacitated.
essential to permit the accrual of some benefit or 2. The reciprocal rights and obligations of the adopters and the adoptee to
advantage in favor of the adopted child. In the each other shall be extinguished.
instant case, however, to hold that parental 3. The court shall order the Civil Registrar to cancel the amended certificate
authority had been retroactively lodged in the of birth of the adoptee and restore his/her original birth certificate.
adopting parents so as to burden them with 4. Succession rights shall revert to its status prior to adoption, but only as of
liability for a tortious act that they could not have the date of judgment of judicial rescission. Vested rights acquired prior to
foreseen and which they could not have prevented judicial rescission shall be respected.
would be unfair and unconscionable.
In the Matter of the Adoption of Stephanie Nathy
EFFECTS OF ADOPTION: Astorga Garcia G.R. No. 148311 March 31, 2005
1. Severance of all legal ties between the biological parents and the adoptee
and the same shall then be vested on the adopters EXCEPT in cases where An illegitimate child adopted by the natural father may use the surname of
the biological parent is the spouse of the adopter the natural mother.
2. Deemed a legitimate child of the adopter
3. Acquired reciprocal rights and obligations arising from parent-child R.A. 8043: INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION ACT OF
relationship 1995
4. Right to use surname of the adopter
5. In legal and intestate succession, the adopters and the adoptee shall have INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION refers to the to inter-country adoption
reciprocal rights of succession without distinction from legitimate filiation. socio-legal process of adopting a Filipino child
However, if the adoptee and his/her biological parents had left a will, the law by a foreigner or a Filipino citizen permanently
on testamentary succession shall govern. residing abroad where the petition is filed, the
supervised trial custody is undertaken, and the
LEGALLY-FREE CHILD is a child who has been voluntarily or involuntarily decree of adoption is issued outside the
committed to the Department, in accordance with the Child and Youth Philippines
Welfare Code
WHO MAY BE ADOPTED:

Initially Prepared by: Cacatian

Only a legally free child may be the subject of inter-country adoption accredited agency, which shall in turn transmit a
• No child shall be matched to a foreign adoptive family unless it is copy to the Board, a progress report of the child's
satisfactorily shown that the child cannot be adopted locally adjustment. The progress report shall be taken
into consideration in deciding whether or not to
WHO MAY ADOPT: issue the decree of adoption.
An alien or a Filipino citizen permanently residing abroad may file an
application for inter-country adoption of a Filipino child if:
1. at least 27 years of age and at least 16 years older than the child to be
adopted, at the time of application unless the adopter is the parent by nature
of the child to be adopted or the spouse of such parent
2. if married, his/her spouse must jointly file for the adoption
3. has the capacity to act and assume all
rights and responsibilities of parental authority under his national laws, and
has undergone the appropriate counseling from an accredited counselor in
his/her country
4. has not been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude
5. eligible to adopt under his/her national law
6. in a position to provide the proper care and support and to give the
necessary moral values and example to all his children, including the child to
be adopted
7. agrees to uphold the basic rights of the child as embodied under Philippine
laws, the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, and to abide by the
rules and regulations issued to implement the provisions of this Act
8. comes from a country with whom the Philippines has diplomatic relations
and whose government maintains a similarly authorized and accredited
agency and that adoption is allowed under his/her national laws
9. possesses all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications provided
herein and in other applicable Philippine laws

INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION BOARD

• act as the central authority in matters relating to inter-country adoption
• ensure that all possibilities for adoption of the child under the Family Code
have been exhausted and that inter-country adoption is in the best interest of
the child.

TRIAL CUSTODY
• The trial custody shall be for a period of 6 months
from the time of placement.
• Starts upon actual physical transfer of the child to
the applicant who, as actual custodian, shall
exercise substitute parental authority over the
person of the child
• The adopting parents shall submit to the
governmental agency or the authorized and
Initially Prepared by: Cacatian