Being part of World Orphan Sunday

As part of 2015 World Orphan Sunday celebration, we took a long drive to Antipolo to join Mike and Malen and other families to be part of a documentary that promotes the advocacy of fostering orphans around the world.

This celebration is being organized by Christian Alliance for Orphans.

A few rules are waived like drinking orange juice around Cloud 9 Hotel and Restaurant in Antipolo.

While Rafa explored the place, Angel met a new friend, named Chosen, son of Sam and Hope Carino too!

Let us continue to find ways to open up our hearts and homes to orphans around our community.

The story of Justin and Ashlyn

Through our own journey in this advocacy campaign, it is very inspiring to meet other adoptive families and hear their own stories. As fellow adoptive parents, I see and learn many similarities and differences in our journey. Meeting Craig and Michelle and their adoptive children, Justin and Ashlyn, is a blessing that we would like to share in this blog. The Craigs are among the many foreigners who have adopted Filipino children. They have lived in the Philippines for nearly 24 years. They first learned about KBF through Chosen Children, an orphanage for special children. They adopted their first child named Justin.

“Our first response was pure joy in our hearts when we heard that we had been matched with a child. We wanted to jump in the car and drive the 5 hours to meet our precious little one right then and there. Of course, we followed procedure but the excitement grew by the day!” says Michelle. Recently, Ashlyn, 2-year old girl joined their family. “We are always encouraging others that have a desire in their hearts to adopt to go ahead and take that first step. The first step is always the hardest, not knowing what you may be doing. Once we contacted KBF, we were encouraged as they led us through each step and informed us what would be next” adds Craig.

Ogie shares his voice to Adoption

I have never really met Ogie Alcasid before. I only see him on TV as sometimes, Cecile and I would watch "Bubble Gang" on Friday nights. Then, a few days ago, we finally met at Loud Box Recording studio, where, together with the McCann Philippines team led by my wife, Cecile and my Comm Arts thesis team led by Rachel Ching attended the recording session of the adoption song, "I Love You Anak."

“I love you anak” sung by award-winning artist Ogie Alcasid, hopes to change the mindset of many Filipinos about adoption and encourage families to open their homes to adoptive children. Ogie prides himself as being a family man. He is married to Regine Velasquez, with whom he has a son, named, Nathaniel James. Down the road, we envision Filipino musicians and talents, from various genre, whether pop, rock or jazz, to all get-together with adoptive and their kids to sing many songs about adoption! Would that collaborative work be a beautiful and meaningful experience? Together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Inter-country Adoption Board (ICAB) and McCann Philippines, and all its partners and friends from Center for Family Ministries, Kaisahang Buhay Foundation, Dominguez Marketing Communications, Adoptive Families Foundation and others, this Advocacy Campaign on Adoption entitled, “Love Sees Beyond Differences” will go further that anyone really expects. Like what Ogie said during the media launch,"I'm glad that they've used music as a start, as a kick off for the campaign because music is very powerful. We always say that music is the language of the soul.”

Yes, this campaign has soul!

Loves Sees Beyond Differences

It all started last February when Cecile and I attended a media event as part of "Adoption Consciousness Week." This program was held at Sulo Hotel in Quezon City. Cecile and I have never really been to this hotel and we were on the road early enought to attend this media event. During the program, I sat besides Atty. Abejo of ICAB, which stands for Inter-country Adoption Board. I had mentioned that Cecile and I were communications practitioners, doing advertising and PR work. And Atty. Abejo and I came to the conclusion that we could develop an advocacy campaign on adoption. Today, that small talk is now a full blown campaign that brings together, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Inter-country Adoption Board (ICAB) and McCann Philippines.

Picture shows Cecile and Jen DeVera-Paraiso of McCann Philippines talking to Bobby Tinio of ICAB during the media launch of "Love Sees Beyond Differences. Yes, we finally launched this adoption campaign entitled, “Love Sees Beyond Differences.” This campaign seeks to let more Filipino and foreign adoptive families like the Villas, Logans and Skopakow share their stories and their adoption journey. Hopefully, this will inspire more Filipino families to open up their hearts and homes to thousands of adoptive kids waiting in various child-caring agencies and orphanages around the country, very much like Rafa and Angel who are now part of our own families and Greenhome. “We have long sought to undertake a communications campaign give a new, more relevant perspective about legal adoption. Now, the Department, together with ICAB and McCann Erickson has finally made this possible,” says DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman. "

Yes, that is award-winning songwriter and singer, Ogie Alcasid, listening to Cecile as my wife explains the role of communications in creating positive impact on everyday lives of Filipinos, specially, adoptive families!