ON ADMINISTRATIVE NATURALIZATION

More on naturalization aside from administrative: CAN FOREIGNERS BECOME CITIZENS OF THE PHILIPPINES?

• Foreigners born and residing in the country may be granted Philippine citizenship

• Said foreigner must be able to read, write and speak Filipino or any of the dialects of the Philippines

• A foreigner’s application for administrative naturalization may be denied

Moral character is seriously being taken into consideration when a foreigner applies for naturalization.

Naturalization as discussed in a previous article signifies the act of formally adopting a foreigner into the political body of a nation by clothing him or her with the privileges of a citizen.

One way by which a foreigner may become citizen of the Philippines is through the process of administrative naturalization under Republic Act No. 9139 or an Act Providing for the Acquisition of Philippine Citizenship for Certain Alien by Administrative Naturalization and for Other Purposes (RA 9139). 

Under RA 9139, any person desiring to become citizen of the Philippines through administrative naturalization must meet the following qualifications:

1. He or she must be born in the Philippines and residing therein since birth;

2. He or she must not be less than eighteen (18) years of age at the time of filing his or her application;

3. He or she must be of good moral character and believes in the underlying principles of the Constitution, and must have conducted himself or herself in a proper and irreproachable manner during his or her entire period of residence in the Philippines in his relation with the duly constituted government as well as with the community in which he or she is living;

4. He or she must have his or her primary and secondary education in any public or public educational institution duly recognized by Department of Education where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality. If the applicant should have minor children of school age, he or she must enroll them in similar schools;

5. He or she must have a known trade, business, profession or lawful occupation, from which he or she derives income sufficient for his or her support and if he or she is married and/or has dependents, also that of his or her family. But, this shall not apply to applicants who are college degree holders but are unable to practice their profession because they are disqualified to do so by reason of their citizenship;

6. He or she must be able to read, write and speak Filipino or any of the dialects of the Philippines; and

7. He or she must have mingled with the Filipinos and evidenced sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipino people.

Is there any disqualification for applying for an administrative naturalization?

The law says:

Yes. In fact, there are more than one disqualification and they are the following:

1. Those opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association of group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing all organized governments;

2. Those defending or teaching the necessity of or propriety of violence, personal assault or assassination for the success or predominance of their ideas;

3. Polygamists or believers in the practice of polygamy;

4. Those convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude;

5. Those suffering from mental alienation or incurable contagious diseases;

6. Those who, during the period of their residence in the Philippines, have not mingled socially with Filipinos, or who have not evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipinos;

7. Citizens or subjects with whom the Philippines is at war, during the period of such war; and

8. Citizens or subjects of a foreign country whose laws do not grant Filipinos the right to be naturalized citizens of their country.

Any person desiring to acquire Philippine citizenship through administrative naturalization shall file with the Special Committee on Naturalization the necessary petition. The said Special Committee on Naturalization is composed of the Solicitor General as the Chairman, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, or his representative, and the National Security Adviser, as members.

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Alburo Alburo and Associates Law Offices specializes in business law and labor law consulting. For inquiries, you may reach us at info@alburolaw.com, or dial us at (02)7745-4391/0917-5772207.

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