Efforts Reduce Number of Facebook Pages Selling Babies in the Philippines
Quezon City – The National Authority for Child Care (NACC) announced a significant reduction in the number of Facebook pages used to sell babies, dropping from 23 to just seven, thanks to enhanced coordination with other government agencies. NACC Executive Director and Undersecretary Janella Estrada detailed the collaborative efforts with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) during a media forum at the NACC office.
According to Philippines News Agency, a recent meeting with the PNP and DICT’s Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center and Women and Children Protection Center has been pivotal in tackling this issue. The crackdown included a recent operation in Catarman, Northern Samar, where a mother was arrested for selling her two young children to an undercover PNP agent for PHP 30,000 each. The children are now under the care of the Lingap (Care) Center in Catarman.
Furthermore, Estrada highlighted the NACC’s ongoing initiatives, including the 1st National Congress on Adoption and Alternative Child Care, which will have its final stops in Clark, Pampanga for the North and Central Luzon clusters, and in Cebu City for the Visayas cluster, scheduled for June 19-20 and June 26-27 respectively. These events aim to strengthen partnerships with local government units for better implementation of adoption and alternative childcare services at the community level.
The congress also aligns with the Philippine Foster Care Program, under which 29 local government units have already signed agreements to develop foster care systems, with an additional 22 in progress. The NACC’s activities are part of broader efforts to promote legal adoption and address illegal online adoption practices, with a total of 216 LGUs participating in these initiatives.
Estrada emphasized the commitment of the NACC to protect the rights and welfare of vulnerable Filipino children through these programs. The NACC, established as a quasi-judicial agency under the Department of Social Welfare and Development by Republic Act 11642, also reported serving 1,618 foster children from January to December 2023. The agency celebrates Adoption and Alternative Child Care Week every second week of June, further underscoring its dedication to child welfare.