DSWD to soap opera scriptwriters, producers: Adoption is good

MANILA, Philippines—Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman has called on scriptwriters and producers of soap operas to portray the adoption of children in a more positive light.

Soliman said it was time to put an end to the misconception that adopted children tended to be mistreated and that adoptive parents were cruel or wicked.

Soliman recently sat down with writers of top networks ABS-CBN, GMA-7 and TV-5 to discuss the process of adoption and to correct what she said was a lot of “inaccurate information” about it.

In a statement, she noted that soap operas with adoption themes tended to show adopted children being abused by step parents or forced to do heavy chores in orphanages.

She said there was a need to show people that this was not the case and that being an adoptee did not diminish the worth of a child.

She said an adoptive family brought a lot of love into a child’s life.

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board Chair Grace Poe Llamanzares agreed it was time to highlight the benefits of adoption and the responsibilities that went with it, rather than negative stereotypes.

In an earlier interview, Sally Dagulo of the Alternative Care Division of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said the department wanted to impart the message that adopted children were actually lucky and were not victims.

Dagulo said adopted children could be considered fortunate because there were people who volunteered to care for them and raise them as their own.

She explained that when the DSWD allowed children to be adopted, it made sure that they would be welcomed into caring homes with supportive family members.

The DSWD has had many adoption success stories, she said.

The adoption process is not as daunting as some fear. The DSWD also undertakes processes to check the motivation and background of couples or single parents who want to take children into their homes, she said.