Fil-Americans in Texas reacquire RP citizenship

After 20 years of being a naturalized American citizen, Art Sanchez, now 69 years old and a long-time resident of Houston,Texas, has joined hundreds of Filipino-Americans who have chosen to reacquire their Philippine citizenship. “We all dream of retiring in the Philippines someday, enjoying all the privileges afforded Filipino citizens," said registered nurse Marie Mercado who, along with her children Mark, Joy and Michelle, also took her oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines. Sanchez and the Mercados were among 150 Filipino Americans who were sworn in February 3, 2007 as Filipino citizens under Republic Act No. 9225, or Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act. RA 9225, which took effect on 17 September 2003, declares that former natural-born Filipino citizens who acquired foreign citizenship through naturalization are deemed not to have lost their Philippine citizenship under conditions provided in the Act. It means former Filipinos can re-acquire/retain their Philippine citizenship by taking the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines. Since January this year, 244 Filipinos in Texas have already participated in the citizenship reacquisition program of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and the First Philippine Baptist Church. “We decided to come back to Houston at the request of several residents," said Maria Hellen Barber, acting head of the Philippine Consulate in Texas. “Over the years, the number of Filipino Americans that have participated has increased," she said. Edith Abella, a nurse, also hopes to take part in the financial gains that may come with a dual citizenship. “I have real estate business to settle back home," she said. Another nurse, Jessica Cruz, hopes to help keep Philippines politics clean. “I want to avoid having actors and actresses run for office and win," she said. Participants at the Houston event on February 3 were split into two groups and two time slots due to the large number of attendees. The morning event was held at Holiday Inn Southwest Hotel on U.S.-59, while the afternoon event was done at the First Philippine Baptist Church on Bissonnet. According to the presentation given by the consulate, a dual citizenship grants natural-born Filipinos who have lost their Filipino citizenships through naturalization in a foreign country the opportunity to reacquire their Filipino citizenship. A natural born citizen of the Philippines is a person who was born in the Philippines and who did not have to perform any act to acquire or perfect their citizenship. This includes those with one or both parents who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of birth and those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenships upon reaching the age of majority. “I want to be a part of the political process, and I want the convenience of acquiring and owning land in the Philippines," said Ron Malapitan, a retired mechanical engineer. D.S. Paraguya Jr., a medical doctor who founded the People Helping People Foundation Inc., expects his dual citizenship to give him more flexibility in carrying out the foundation’s mission. “Now I can do business in the country that can help alleviate poverty in the Philippines," he said. “What a better way to show one’s love for the Philippines than to reacquire our citizenship of birth," said Dr. Paraguya. There are several benefits that go along with a dual citizenship. These include the right to vote in Philippine national elections, the right to own land and property in the Philippines, the right to engage in business or commerce and the right to travel bearing a Philippine passport, as well as other rights that citizens of the Philippines already have. In addition, any unmarried children under the age of 18 that the dual citizen may have are automatically deemed citizens of the Philippines provided the applicant includes the child as a beneficiary. As provided for under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, a Filipino citizen is entitled to purchase land and other properties and engage in business. There is no limit in terms of area or size of land or real property he/she could acquire/purchase under his/her name. This right would now apply to former natural-born Filipinos who have re-acquired Philippine citizenship under RA 9225. More than anything else, the new dual citizens said they reacquired Philippine citizenship for their love of their mother country. “You can take the Filipino away from the Philippines, but you cannot take the Philippines away from him," said Benjamin Ongoco, a Houston community leader who, together with this wife, Susan, took his oath as Filipino citizens on at the First Philippine Baptist Church. In order to obtain the dual citizenship, applicants needed to present a number of documents to the consulate. These included a Philippine birth certificate, an old Philippine passport or marriage contract indicating the applicant’s Philippine citizenship and a voter’s affidavit or identification card. Similar documents showing that the applicant was a former natural-born citizen of the Philippines could also be presented granted the evaluating officer deems the documents acceptable. Additional requirements included photocopies of a certificate of naturalization and a valid foreign passport, two recent 2" x 2" identification photographs and a processing fee of $50. For the children listed as beneficiaries, the applicant needed to provide a birth certificate, a foreign passport and a processing fee of $25. After approval, participants then took an oath of allegiance before officially receiving their dual citizenships. “There are no drawbacks," said lawyer Arlene Machetta, chairperson of NaFFAA Region 6. NaFFAA is a non-partisan, non-profit national affiliation of more than 500 Filipino-American umbrella organizations. “I would recommend others to get a dual citizenship because it facilitates empowerment," said Machetta. Many applicants agree. “I’m tired of people complaining about bad politics," said Malapitan. “If you complain, there’s no chance to make things better. Instead, you need to be a part of the process." “I don’t think there are any drawbacks because people here want change for the Philippines," said Cruz. “If you really want to improve the Philippines’ situation, get your vote counted." “Once a Filipino, always a Filipino," said Barber. “A dual citizenship will give Filipino Americans an opportunity to give back and show appreciation for their motherland," she said. The Philippine Consulate that represents the regions of South California, South Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, is based out of Los Angeles, where the largest Filipino population in the United States—an estimated 2 million Filipinos— resides. “Our mission is to promote economic diplomacy, image building and cultural and community relations," said Barber. Philippine dual citizenships began in 2003 with the signing of the Citizenship Retention and Re-Acquisition Act or Republic Act No. 9225. The Houston citizenship retention and re-acquisition event began in 2005 and is held every two years. Harmony Reforma, Fil-Am Press