“We prayed to God that He may bless us with a child and He surprised us with a calling for adoption. We obeyed Him and accepted for this is what He wants us to have, a baby from heaven.”
This was how Marius and Angelene Calungcaguin described their 2-years and 4-months-old adopted boy, Pio.
“Our favorite saint is St. Pio, so we wanted to name our baby boy after him. But it turned out that his original name is Piolo, so we just shortened it,” Angelene narrated.
She added that Pio was proof of “divine confirmation” – that God intended them to adopt a child.
Deciding to adopt
“After being married for four years and going through a lot of medical tests, procedures, and medications, we just said, ‘Lord, ikaw na po ang bahala (Lord, we leave it all up to you)’ and He led us to Pio,” Angeline continued.
Prior to their decision to adopt, the young couple was already exposed to children through serving as organizers of MAKE PEACE COOKIES.org in 2012, a project that focused on reaching out to children in orphanages and child-caring institutions.
Serving as volunteers in orphanages and child-caring institutions bolstered their desire to have a child of their own. However, Marius admitted that he was hesitant at first.
“I was reluctant to adopt a child because I still doubts about my readiness to be a father. My experiences were limited to taking care of my nieces, nephews, and younger cousins, but it is not the same compared to bringing up your own child,” Marius candidly stated.
While he was thinking things through, Angeline was quietly preparing the legal documents.
“I prayed, Lord if this is for us, You will give it to us,” she said.
And it truly proved to be God’s will. “ my wife completed the papers, I felt I was ready,” Marius narrated.
The young couple adopted their baby through the Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF), a child-caring agency licensed and accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
They went through the whole process of legally adopting Pio, from attending the adoption forum organized by KBF and preparing the documents, to finally meeting their baby boy.
Angelene recalled the first time they saw Pio. “It’s as if the baby knew us. He smiled and immediately hugged my husband.”
From then on, the three of them formed an unbreakable bond nurtured by love.
“Having the cutest, sweetest, hyper active, and most loving kid on the block is the best thing that happened to us. Our lives changed and it is all for the best,” the couple joyfully said.
Advocating legal adoption
As part of its advocacy on legal adoption, DSWD spearheads the observance of Adoption Consciousness Week every February.
This year’s theme, “Legal na Ampon Ako: Anak na Totoo (A Child Finds Worth in Adoption),” emphasizes that there is no distinction between an adopted and a biological child because their rights are the same.
DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman underscored the value of legal adoption. “Institutionalization should be the last recourse because there is no substitute for loving parents who will care for and nurture these children. Legal adoption serves to protect and promote the best interest of the child.”
DSWD, in partnership with accredited child-caring and placement agencies like KBF and Norfil Foundation, Inc., seeks to find loving families and stable homes for abandoned, neglected, and surrendered children.
To date, a total of 6,896 children have been placed for domestic adoption since 2009.
Those who want to adopt should be of legal age, at least 16 years older than the adoptee, can assume all the rights and duties of a parent, of good moral character and has not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude, and has undergone pre-adoption services as specified in adoption laws.
For those who are interested to adopt, they may contact the DSWD Field Offices in their area and child-placing agencies, such as KBF and Norfil Foundation, Inc. ###
