5 Pinoy celebs who are proud adoptive parents
These celebrities celebrate adoption when they decided to extend their love and opened their arms to a new member of their family.
There are countless reasons why people adopt, but whatever motivations they may have for doing so, they are giving the child hope, love, and a sense of home.
Check out these inspiring celebs who have embraced adoption and given their children a loving family.
Oyo Boy Sotto and Kristine Hermosa
Actors Oyo Sotto and Kristine Hermosa recently shared on Instagram that their eldest son, Kiel, is now a teenager. Both penned heartwarming messages for their son, whom they adopted when he was just a few months old.
“Walang aksidente kay God. Hindi aksidente na binigay ka niya sa amin… na ikaw ang naging daan sa matinding training namin bilang magulang,” Kristine said in her post.
“You are a good and obedient son, Kiel… don’t forget that. God has a great plan for your life, always obey and honor Him in everything you do.”
Meanwhile, Oyo, who shares his love for motocross with Kiel, posted a photo of them together and wrote, “You are such a blessing to us, Kiel. I may not be perfect but always remember that Dada loves you so much!”
The couple adopted Kiel before their wedding in January 2011.
Kiel is the eldest brother to his siblings Ondrea Bliss, Kaleb Hanns, Marvic Valentin III and Vittorio Isaac.
Judy Anne Santos and Ryan Agoncillo
Actress Judy Anne Santos was 26 years old when she adopted her daughter Yohan.
At first, Judy Anne reportedly did not feel comfortable discussing this with the members of the press. There was a time when, she would reportedly ask the media to exclude the word “adopted” from stories because of fears that Yohan would find out about it from outside sources first.
“Eventually, I realized, it’s such a beautiful word. Napakagandang salita ng word na ‘adopted’ or ‘adoption,’ because somebody wanted you in their lives. They chose you,” Judy Ann said in an interview in Tonight with Boy Abunda.
Speaking to Pep.ph, Judy Anne said she told Yohan about her adoption when she was five years old. And as Yohan was growing up, Judy Anne reminds her and that “It doesn’t matter where you came from, what matters is, we’re together, we are meant to be together.”
Judy Anne’s husband, Ryan Agoncillo, went on to legally adopted Yohan after the couple got married in 2009.
Aside from Yohan, who is now 16 years old, the couple has two other children, Lucho and Luna.
Sharon Cuneta
In 2012, Sharon Cuneta announced that she and husband, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, have adopted a son named Miguel.
In a Q&A vlog in her YouTube channel in 2019, Sharon revealed that she and Senator Kiko decided to tell Miguel early on that he was adopted.
“The day that he came, I vowed to become his mother,” Sharon said.
The Megastar shared she was not planning to tell Miguel about his adoption on the day the conversation came up. While watching a reality TV show which was starring a couple with an adopted son, Miguel randomly asked Sharon, “Am I adopted, Mama?”
Sharon admitted that she was not prepared to answer but she told Miguel, “Yeah. Look at Will, the little boy in the show.”
She also said that at the time, when Miguel was asked “Who gave you to your mommy and daddy?” He would answer, “Jesus.”
Sharon also shared she makes sure to keep the conversation light when talking to Miguel, now 11 years old, about the adoption. “You’re special because you were chosen and you’re part of our family even though you didn’t come from my tummy. You came from my heart and God gave you to us because we really prayed for a boy.”
Sharon has three daughters, KC Concepcion, and Frankie and Miel Pangilinan.
LJ Moreno and Jimmy Alapag
LJ Moreno and husband Jimmy Alapag adopted their two-year-old son, Ian Maximus, from a shelter for babies in 2014.
The couple was having difficulty conceiving at the time. But LJ told Pep.ph in an interview that they were matched with Ian, two days after they found out they were pregnant with their first child, Keona.
LJ shared in an interview with Smart Parenting that Ian already knew that he was adopted at an early age as she and Jimmy would often visit the shelter where he was adopted from to see his friends. They were also advised that the earlier their child know, the better to avoid the feeling of betrayal.
“Alam n’ya, pero we don’t really say it, pero he just knows na, ‘Oh, Baby (Keona) came from Mama. I came from this place (shelter),” LJ said.
Ian, who is now eight years old, is a big brother to Keona, five, and Calen, three.
(The couple, whose family is now residing the US, revealed on their YouTube channel in September 2020 that they lost their fourth child to miscarriage.)
Claudine Barretto
Claudine Barretto is a known advocate of adoption.
She and her then husband Raymart Santiago adopted Sabina, who is now 17 years old. They also have a biological son, Santino.
In an interview with The STAR, Claudine said she never hid to Sabina that she was adopted.
Claudine said having Sabina as her daughter is a gift that was meant to happen. “It was something that was meant for you… God already knew before you knew it.”
After Claudine and Raymart separated in 2013, Claudine adopted two more children, Quia in 2015, and Noah in 2019.
Banner and thumbnail photos from @ryan_agoncillo, @thelollicakechic, @osotto, and @claubarretto on Instagram
