Maaari ko bang ma-regain ang aking Piliino citizenships ?

Isa po akong biyuda na nanirahan na sa Australia mula nang college hanggang makapag-asawa ako roon. My husband died in a car accident two years ago. I decided to go back to the Philippines to take a vacation after that because the pain of losing my husband was so unbearable. It seemed that memories of my husband came back to me wherever I went in Australia.

Pagbalik ko po sa Pilipinas, tinulungan akong maglibang ng aking high school friend na si Trixie. She showed me around Manila when I came here for a vacation last year. I was only supposed to stay here for three months but my plans changed when I met Trixie’s cousin, Alfonso.

Kasa-kasama rin namin si Alfonso sa pamamasyal kaya nagkakilala kami at nagkapalagayan ng loob. It turned out that he was also mending a broken heart. He just broke up with his girlfriend of three years. Na-realize naming compatible kami as days went by. Hindi nagtagal at nagkaibigan po kaming dalawa.

‘Di ko inaasahan pero pinigilan akong umalis ni Alfonso a few days before I was supposed to leave. Pinigilan n’ya ko by proposing marriage to me. I said yes but requested for a long-term engagement. Parang ayoko na pong bumalik sa Australia. Dito ko na gustong mag-stay for good.

However, my problem is I have already given up my Pilipino citizenship before I got married to my Australian husband. Maari ko po bang ma-regain ang aking Pilipino citizenship para dito na ko makapanirahan muli?

–Clarisse Tampo, Marilao, Bulacan

Maaari mo pang marecover ang ‘yong Pilipino citizenship even after you’ve renounced it, ayon sa ating batas.

Ayon sa Section 1 ng Republic Act 8171: Pilipino women who have lost their Philippine citizenship by marriage to aliens and natural-born Pilipinos who have lost their Philippine citizenship, including their minor children, on account of political or economic necessity, may reacquire Philippine citizenship through repatriation in the manner provided in Section 4 of Commonwealth Act No. 63, as amended: Provided, that the applicant is not a: (1) Person opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association or group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing organized government; (2) Person defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of violence, personal assault, or association for the predominance of their ideas; (3) Person convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude; or (4) Person suffering from mental alienation or incurable contagious diseases.

Under section 2 of Republic Act No. 8171, repatriation shall be effected by taking the necessary oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines and registration in the proper civil registry and Bureau of Immigration and Deportation. The Bureau of Immigration shall thereupon cancel the pertinent alien certificate of registration and issue the certificate of identification as Pilipino citizen to the repatriated citizen.