HB07679: AN ACT PROMOTING THE RIGHTS OF AND PROVIDING GREATER PROTECTIONS TO DESERTED OR ABANDONED CHILDREN WITH UNKNOWN PARENTS AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE ARTICLES 276 AND 277 OF THE REVISED PENAL CODE AND SPECIAL LAWS, RECOGNIZING THEIR STATUS AS NATURAL-BORN CIT
This House Bill promotes the rights of deserted or abandoned children with unknown parents, aiming to protect their status as natural-born citizens of the Philippines. It declares that a foundling is a natural-born Filipino citizen regardless of birth circumstances or documentation, and this status cannot be easily challenged. The bill mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to conduct proactive and diligent searches for the foundling's birth facts and parentage within fifteen days of discovery or notification.
The "Foundling Welfare Act" streamlines the registration process for foundlings, requiring the DSWD's report for the issuance of a certificate of live birth, and ensures that foundlings are not referred to in a discriminatory manner in public documents. It guarantees foundlings access to government programs and services, including registration, adoption facilitation, education, legal and police protection, medical care, and admission to child centers. The bill also imposes penalties for discriminatory remarks, discrimination in services, falsification of registration, and obstruction of search and inquiry efforts related to foundlings.