23 September 2015 - Ambassador Cecilia B. Rebong, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, accompanied by Consul General Enrico T. Fos of the Philippine Consulate General in Geneva, met with Filipino children who were adopted by Swiss couples/ families during a “Family Gathering Day” organized by the Bureau Genevois d’Adoption (BGA) on September 05 in Vulliens, Switzerland.
Ambassador Rebong expressed gratitude to the Swiss families for taking in the children and for giving them the love that children deserve. She also noted how the children have obviously brought joy to their adoptive parents.
The gathering was an opportunity for the Philippine Mission and Consulate General in Geneva to meet, for the first time, the 18 Swiss adoptive families with Filipino children, residing in the different parts of Switzerland. The participation of the Consulate General was not only an expression of support for the adoptive families, but a commitment to provide assistance, if needed, especially for the Filipino children who are still in trial custody, as mandated by Republic Act No. 8043 or the Inter-Country Adoption Act of 1995.
The Bureau is an organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, which has been accredited by the Philippine InterCountry Adoption Board (ICAB), headed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, to facilitate inter-country adoption of Filipino adoptive children by qualified Swiss couples or families. The Bureau Genevois d’Adoption organizes the annual “Family Gathering Day” in September to allow the families, including the children, to get to know each other. END