ILOILO City – The National Authority for Child Care (NACC) is intensifying its campaign for solo-parent adoption nationwide, emphasizing that qualified single individuals — including eligible members of the LGBTQIA+ community — can legally adopt children under Philippine law, provided they can offer a safe, stable, and loving home.
The push forms part of the observance of Adoption and Alternative Child Care Week (AACCW) 2026, during which the NACC highlighted efforts to expand awareness on adoption opportunities, address online baby-selling concerns, implement the Simulated Birth Rectification Act (SIBRA), and protect the rights and welfare of foundlings.
During a press conference on June 9, NACC executive director Undersecretary Maria Gabriela Concepcion said many Filipinos still mistakenly believe that only married couples are qualified to adopt children.
“Maraming paraan ng pag-aampon… pero ang gusto po nating i-emphasize lalo na nga sa linggong ito ay ang solo-parent adoption,” Concepcion said.
She explained that the agency wants to encourage more qualified single individuals to consider adoption, stressing that marriage is not a prerequisite for providing a child with a nurturing family environment.
“Solo-parent adoption allows qualified single individuals and solo parents to be able to legally adopt a child. Kasali po dito ang eligible members ng LGBTQIA+ community basta ma-meet ang requirement sa ilalim ng batas,” Concepcion added.
Under Republic Act No. 11642, or the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act, qualified Filipinos aged 25 and above may adopt regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
NACC data showed that it has facilitated 326 solo-parent adoptions nationwide. Of this number, 19 adopters belong to the LGBTQIA+ community.
“So, ‘yun ang isang patunay na iisa lang ang pamantayan natin sa adoption or pag-aampon at ito ay ang abilidad na mabigyan ng isang maayos na pamumuhay at maayos, ligtas at matatag na tahanan ang isang bata. Hindi po tayo nagdi-discriminate. Wala pong diskriminasyon sa prosesong ito,” Concepcion said.
However, Concepcion clarified that in cases involving LGBTQIA+ couples legally married abroad, only one partner may adopt a child because same-sex marriage is not yet recognized in the Philippines.
She also noted that the adoption process for solo parents is generally no more difficult than that for married couples and may even be simpler because only one individual undergoes the required assessments.
According to Concepcion, the evaluation focuses on whether the prospective adopter is psychologically and emotionally prepared for parenthood and capable of providing a child’s essential needs, including love, shelter, education, food, and a secure home environment.
The NACC said its campaign seeks to ensure that more children are given permanent families and opportunities to grow up in safe and supportive homes, regardless of the family structure of qualified adoptive parents./PN
