Private Adoption in the Philippines

Hello everyone! My family and I are in such a predicament. My uncle (a Filipino and a US citizen) is married to a Filipina who still lives in the Philippines. They are having difficulty conceiving and have thought of adopting when a friend of theirs who works at a lying in clinic somewhere in Manila told them that a baby was left at the clinic and if they would like to adopt him so his wife went to the clinic immediately. The baby (who is 2 years old now) had been with them since then. Unfortunately, my aunt did not file for adoption when the baby was given to her. Now, my uncle has filed a petition for both of them but we are lacking adoption papers. The immigration lawyer told them that his wife must adopt the child first before we can proceed with the petition. We might have to cancel the petition altogether while waiting for the adoption to fully materialize. Since my uncle lives and works here in the States, how can he fulfill the physical custody requirement? This baby has become our pride and joy since he came into our family two years ago. Is it possible for my aunt to adopt him by herself then my uncle petitions them as wife and immediate relative? Our immigration lawyer said that this is possible but I see so many holes in this issue. I would appreciate your comments and insights regarding this matter. I thank you all in advance. Have a good day.