PRESIDENT Duterte has signed into law several measures promoting and protecting the rights and welfare of adopted children and the heirs of a deceased retired prosecutor.
Malacanang released yesterday the copies of several bills signed into law by the President from late December to early January such as Republic Act No. (RA) 11642, titled “Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act” that simplifies and shortens the period of adoption process in the country, making it faster and less costly.
It also provides for the establishment of the National Authority for Child Care (NACC), which shall handle all applications, petitions and other matters involving alternative child care.
NACC shall be an attached agency to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that will be headed by a six man-council chaired by the Secretary of Social Welfare and Development.
Republic Act No. (RA) 11642 shortens the adoption process to about six months from a couple of years as it sets specific periods of time on which the NACC, the Regional Alternative Child Care Offices (RACCOs), and other government offices should decide on petitions for adoption and facilitate documents.
The law includes safeguards to protect the child’s welfare, such as the requirement of a home study and case study by a social worker for each application for adoption as well as penalties for unlawful acts such as non-compliance with the procedure and safeguards provided by the law; exposing the child to be adopted to danger, abuse, or exploitation; and fictitious registration of the birth of a child under the name of a person who is not the child’s biological parent, among others.
The law also designated the second week of June of every year as Adoption and Alternative Child Care Week.
Malacanang also released a copy of RA 11643 which grants survivorship benefits to the legitimate spouse and dependent children of a deceased retired prosecutor.
This means that once a retired member of the National Prosecution Service (NPS) died, or a member who is eligible to retire optionally at the time of death, all the retirement benefits that he or she was receiving or is entitled to receive shall be passed on to his or her surviving legitimate spouse and dependent children.
The law, signed by the President on January 11, states that the surviving spouse and dependent children shall each equally share the retirement benefits.
The law describes the dependent children as a legitimate, illegitimate, or legally adopted child who is chiefly dependent on the deceased NPS member, not more than 21 years old, unmarried, and not employed, and is incapable of self-support because of any mental or physical defect or condition.
It also states that the retirement benefits will continue to be given throughout the lifetime of the surviving spouse unless he or she remarries.
The benefits provided under Republic Act No. 11643 shall be granted to the surviving spouse and dependent children of an NPS member who died one year prior to the effectivity of the new law. The members of the NPS include all prosecutors under the Office of the Secretary of Justice, the Regional Prosecution Offices and the offices of the Provincial and City Prosecutors.
Republic Act No. 11643 shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
The President also signed RA 11608 into law that renamed Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City as the Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue, after actor and King of Philippine movies legend Fernando Poe Jr.
Poe, who was named as national artist in 2012, ran for president in 2004 but lost to then President Gloria Arroyo.
Other measures signed into law:
– RA 11602 that provides for the construction of a national highway from Interior Circumferential Road in Tagoloan in Lanao Del Norte to Talakag in Bukidnon;
– RA 11603 that renamed a part of the road Tabuk in Kalinga up to the Mountain Province Boundary as the “Manuel S. Agyao Boulevard;”
– RA 11604 that mandates the full rehabilitation and maintenance of the Kennon Road;
– RA 11605 that converts the Sagada- Besao-Quirino-Ilocos Sur Road into a national road;
– RA 11606 that classified the San Fernando Bypass Road and San Fernando Bypass Extension Road in La Union into a National Road;
– RA 11607 that renamed the Marawi-Maguing-Bumbaran-Wao Road from Marawi City to Wao in Lanao Del Sur, as the Governor Mamintal M. Among Sr. National Road; and
– RA 11612 that creates an Engineering District Office in Zamboanga Del Norte.
The President also signed and issued Executive Order 159 on December 28, 2021 that reconstitutes the Inter-agency Coordinating Committee to Facilitate the Ratification of/Accession to and Implementation of Maritime Conventions that is chaired by the Department of Transportation.
The inter-agency body committee will lead government efforts in ensuring the ratification and implementation of conventions and agreements that would promote and boost the country’s bid to become a major maritime nation that advances the standards of training and certification and watchkeeping of seafarer, promotes safety shipping and protect marine life and environment.
