The Senate of the Philippines has approved a measure that would simplify the adoption process in the country, according to this article from Cebu Daily News. “To remedy the problem of a lengthy and financially restrictive adoption proceedings, this bill likewise proposes a simpler and less costly administrative adoption process without compromising the safety and integrity of the child,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros. The legislation addresses "birth simulation," which is defined by this article as "the tampering of the civil registry to make it appear in the birth record that a child was born to a person who is not the child’s biological mother." The bill "aims to correct the status of a child whose birth was simulated by opening the avenue for a legal adoption that the child may enjoy all the benefits offered by the law to legally adopted children," says the article.
