Field Office I

Legally adopting a child means securing his/her legal identity, protecting his best welfare; and avoiding legal impediments in the future.

This was emphasized during the radio guestings of DSWD technical staff at DZRL-RPN9 (Batac City), DZNS and DWRS (Vigan City) and TV interview on February 18-19, 2010. This is in the observance of the Adoption Consciousness Week with the theme: “Isulong: legal na pag-aampon hindi “simulation”.

According to the Adoption  Resource and Refferal Unit  (ARRU) Head Jocelyn Mariano, simulation of birth is an illegal process of claiming and registering the abandoned and/or  neglected children as their own. This usually happens to some babies  left by their mothers  in the hospitals because of fear of  responsibilities, unplanned or unwanted  pregnancies.

Tio – angan is one of the remotest areas in the town of Bagulin, La Union. The only means to reach the area is by taking a forty five minute ride from the town proper to Barangay Baay, the last barangay which can be reached by a vehicle. After which, a two - hour long downhill walk, passing rivers, crossing hanging bridges and mountain sides, will be experienced to finally get to Tio –angan.

Given the distance, families residing in Tio - angan are having a hard time with their financial responsibilities since there are less opportunities in the area. Thus 4P’s coming into their lives is a great help in answering their needs and responsibilities for a better and lighter way of life.