THE Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) and the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) have strengthened government efforts to combat illegal adoption and child trafficking.
On Wednesday, the CFO said the agency and NACC crafted an interagency framework to improve the protection of Filipino children.
During the meeting, CFO Chairman Dante Ang II presented the agency's programs and services to promote the welfare of overseas Filipino children.
The CFO raised the importance of preventive measures against online sexual abuse or exploitation of children, child sexual abuse or exploitation materials, and illegal adoption schemes that may be used to facilitate human trafficking.
"As the government agency responsible for promoting safe, informed and orderly migration, the commission also works to strengthen diaspora engagement while ensuring the vulnerable sectors — including children — are protected from exploitation and trafficking," the CFO said in a statement.
The CFO, chairman of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat) advocacy and communications committee, noted that international organizations have warned that illegal adoption can become "a pathway for child trafficking when safeguards and legal procedures are circumvented."
According to Iacat, traffickers continue to exploit children through fraudulent adoption arrangements, falsified civil registry documents, and illegal recruitment schemes that conceal trafficking activities.
On July 15, the CFO and NACC discussed the adoption of a joint memorandum circular institutionalizing referral systems, information sharing, and case coordination among agencies handling international child protection cases.
The proposed agreement seeks to strengthen cooperation among the CFO, NACC, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Migrant Workers, and other concerned agencies to ensure a more coordinated government response to illegal adoption schemes, trafficking in persons, and other cross-border child protection concerns.
The initiative supports the CFO's mandate to protect the welfare and interests of overseas Filipinos, including Filipino emigrants, intercountry adoptees, and other non-resident Filipinos.
Aside from Ang, CFO Undersecretary Ma. Arlene Borja and NACC representatives Florence Diane Cerera and Karlo Pates were present at the meeting.
