within which the parties are expected to adjust psychologically and emotionally to each other and
establish a bonding relationship. During said period, temporary parental authority shall be vested in the
adopter(s).
The court may motu proprio or upon motion of any party reduce the trial period if it finds the same to be
in the best interest of the adoptee, stating the reasons for the reduction of the period. However, for
alien adopter(s), he/she must complete the six (6)-month trial custody except for those enumerated in
Sec. 7 (b) (i) (ii) (iii).
If the child is below seven (7) years of age and is placed with the prospective adopter(s) through a preadoption placement authority issued by the Department, the prospective adopter(s) shall enjoy all the
benefits to which biological parent(s) is entitled from the date the adoptee is placed with the
prospective adopter(s).
Section 13. Decree of Adoption. – If, after the publication of the order of hearing has been complied
with, and no opposition has been interposed to the petition, and after consideration of the case studies,
the qualifications of the adopter(s), trial custody report and the evidence submitted, the court is
convinced that the petitioners are qualified to adopt, and that the adoption would redound to the best
interest of the adoptee, a decree of adoption shall be entered which shall be effective as of the date the
original petition was filed. This provision shall also apply in case the petitioner(s) dies before the
issuance of the decree of adoption to protect the interest of the adoptee. The decree shall state the
name by which the child is to be known.
Section 14. Civil Registry Record. – An amended certificate of birth shall be issued by the Civil
Registry, as required by the Rules of Court, attesting to the fact that the adoptee is the child of the
adopter(s) by being registered with his/her surname. The original certificate of birth shall be
stamped "cancelled" with the annotation of the issuance of an amended birth certificate in its place and
shall be sealed in the civil registry records. The new birth certificate to be issued to the adoptee shall
not bear any notation that it is an amended issue.
Section 15. Confidential Nature of Proceedings and Records. – All hearings in adoption cases shall
be confidential and shall not be open to the public. All records, books, and papers relating to the
adoption cases in the files of the court, the Department, or any other agency or institution participating
in the adoption proceedings shall be kept strictly confidential.
If the court finds that the disclosure of the information to a third person is necessary for purposes
connected with or arising out of the adoption and will be for the best interest of the adoptee, the court
may merit the necessary information to be released, restricting the purposes for which it may be used.
ARTICLE V
EFFECTS OF ADOPTION
Section 16. Parental Authority. – Except in cases where the biological parent is the spouse of the
adopter, all legal ties between the biological parent(s) and the adoptee shall be severed and the same
shall then be vested on the adopter(s).
Section 17. Legitimacy. – The adoptee shall be considered the legitimate son/daughter of the
adopter(s) for all intents and purposes and as such is entitled to all the rights and obligations provided
by law to legitimate sons/daughters born to them without discrimination of any kind. To this end, the
adoptee is entitled to love, guidance, and support in keeping with the means of the family.