12,000 immigrants get dual citizenship in 2005

Over 12,000 Filipino immigrants regained their Filipino citizenship in 2005, made possible by the dual citizenship law enacted by Congress two years ago, the Bureau of Immigration reported yesterday.

Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. said most of those who availed themselves of the dual citizenship privilege were Filipinos who migrated to the US and became naturalized American citizens. There were also thousands of naturalized Canadian and Australian citizens who regained their Filipino citizenship.

Under Republic Act 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act passed by Congress in 2003, former natural-born Filipinos who became naturalized citizens of other countries are deemed not to have lost their citizenship here.

Fernandez said the Bureau started processing dual citizenship applications only in April 2004 after Malacañang tapped the agency as the law’s lead implementing agency.

According to the Bureau’s Dual Citizenship Task Force, headed by lawyer Arvin Santos, applications started to surge last October when they eased the requirements and set up processing sections in Philippines consulates abroad.

Santos said the rules were relaxed following the clamor of many former Filipinos who wish to regain their citizenship but could not submit certain documents such as duly authenticated birth certificates.

Many applicants reportedly requested for the removal of birth certificate as a requirement, saying that their birth records were either lost during the war or due to accidents. — Edu Punay