Poe on the signing of Foundling Recognition and Protection Act into Law: A victory for both the children and parents

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law promoting the rights of abandoned children with unknown parents and giving them more protection.

Republic Act No. 11767 states that a foundling found in the country or in Philippine embassies, consulates, and territories abroad is presumed a natural-born Filipino citizen “regardless of the status or circumstances of birth.”

As a result, he or she “shall be accorded with rights and protections at the moment of birth equivalent to those belonging to such class of citizens whose citizenship does not need perfection or any further act.”

“I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to President Duterte for signing the Foundling Recognition and Protection Act into law. I would also like to thank my colleagues at the Senate and House for their overwhelming support for such an important measure.” says senator Grace Poe on the signing.

“It would be untruthful to say that the law was not informed by my experiences when I ran for the presidency in 2016. As a matter of fact, it is exactly my experiences in that period that opened my eyes to the necessity of the law. I experienced firsthand how foundlings were subjected to undue scrutiny for something that is completely outside their control. Such unfair treatment has made me realize that ample safeguards must be institutionalized to protect them from future attacks and declare, once and for all, that they are Filipinos who must be accorded the same rights and privileges that are granted to their fellow countrymen.”

Senator Poe adds “As I have said before, this is a victory for both the adopted children and the adopting parents. May it provide them with the peace of mind and closure that some of them seek until this very day. May it also remind them that regardless of where they came from, they are just as important and worthy as anybody else.”