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01/28/2012
More than 116,000 former Filipinos who became naturalized citizens of other countries have reacquired their Philippine citizenship under the so-called dual citizenship law, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday said.
Under Republic Act 9225, also known as the citizenship retention and reacquisition act of 2003, natural-born Filipinos who became naturalized citizens of other countries are not deemed to have lost their Filipino citizenship by taking the required oath of allegiance.
Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said of the total number of reacquired Philippine citizens, 36,851 filed their petitions at the BI main office in Manila while 79,208 applied at the various Philippine consulates abroad.
David urged former Filipinos who wished to enjoy again their rights and privileges as Philippine citizens to avail of the benefits themselves of the law.
Among these rights, he said, are the rights to vote, run for public office, own real properties here, secure a Philippine passport and stay in the Philippines.
David, however, stressed the same law allows the applicants to have dual citizenship if the laws of their foreign countries allow it.
“They can also enter and exit the country anytime or stay here for as long as they wish without the need to apply for an extension of stay,” the BI chief added.
BI legal officer Maricel Salcedo Sulit, who heads the the BI’s task force on RA 9225, said Americans topped the list of the approved applicants, followed by Britons and Canadians.
Sulit said most of the dual citizens filed their petitions at Philippine consulates, particularly those in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto and London.
To apply, the applicant pays only a fee of P3,000 and his papers are immediately processed if all documentary requirements are submitted.
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