Dual citizenship bill OK’d

A Senate-House conference committee has approved the final version of the Dual Citizenship Bill, which seeks to allow Filipinos who are now citizens of other nations to reacquire Philippine citizenship.

Senate President Franklin Drilon said yesterday he expects the measure, entitled Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003, to be signed into law by President Arroyo next week.

He said the enactment of the bill "is an affirmation that the Filipino people embrace our Filipino brothers abroad and that we highly appreciate their continued contribution in keeping our economy afloat." "Like the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003, the Dual Citizenship Bill is another tribute we offer to the overseas Filipino community," Drilon said.

Under the measure, natural-born Filipinos who have become naturalized citizens of the United States and other countries can reacquire Philippine citizenship upon taking an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines.

Drilon, principal author of the bill in the Senate, said the legislation could bring in huge investments from Filipinos abroad who would be encouraged to return or settle down here.

"In the US alone, close to a million Filipinos would benefit from this bill," he said.

He pointed out that Filipinos who have migrated to foreign lands did so for better opportunities and did not really plan to acquire foreign citizenship and stay for long in their adopted countries.

The bill does not prescribe the process for taking an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines. It empowers the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration to issue implementing rules. — Jess Diaz