Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.  10761 
Introduced by Representatives Michael John R. Duavit 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article IV, Section I of the 1987 Constitution provides who are citizens of the 
Philippines including those naturalized in accordance with law. Naturalization may be 
administrative, judicial, or legislative and all these modes of acquiring citizenship by 
naturalization an act of Congress. 
Administrative naturalization is governed by Republic Act No. 9139 or “The 
Administrative Naturalization Law of 2000.” Judicial naturalization is covered by 
Commonwealth Act No 473 or the “Revised Naturalization Law”. Both of these laws 
provide for qualifications of applicant for Philippine citizenship. On the other hand, 
legislative naturalization is a direct grant of Philippine citizenship and is considered a 
blanket authority of Congress. 
This bill seeks to grant Philippine citizenship to Matthew Steves Westfall, an 
American urbanist, writer, filmmaker and entrepreneur, by direct act of Congress is a 
recognition of this exemplary work for the nation through his urban development and 
policy planning programs and projects, documentary filmmaking to highlight our 
country’s development challenges, historical writing on Philippine history, and the 
establishment of a pioneering PEZA-registered business initiative to promote the 
Philippines in overseas export markets while supporting local sustainability initiatives. 
He possesses all of the qualifications and none of the disqualification provided under 
Commonwealth Act No. 473, particularly Section 2 which states: 
“Section 2. Qualifications. – Subject to section four of this Act, any person having 
the following qualifications may become a citizen of the Philippines by naturalization: 
First. He must not be less than twenty-one years of age on the day of the hearing 
of the petition; 
Second. He must have resided in the Philippines for a continuous period of not 
less than ten years; 
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Third. He must be of good moral character and believes in the principles 
underlying the Philippine Constitution, and must have conducted himself in a proper and 
irreproachable manner during the entire period of his residence in the Philippines in his 
relation with the constituted government as well as with the community in which he is 
living. 
Fourth. He must own real estate in the Philippines worth not less than Five 
thousand pesos, Philippine currency, or must have some known lucrative trade, 
profession or lawful occupation. 
Fifth. He must be able to speak and write English or Spanish and any one of the 
principal Philippines languages; and 
Sixth. He must have enrolled his minor children of school age, in any of the public 
schools or private schools recognized by the Office of Private Education of the 
Philippines, where the Philippine history, government and civics are taught or prescribed 
as part of the school curriculum, during the entire period of residence in the Philippines 
required of him prior to the hearing of his petition for naturalization as Philippine citizen. 
Born on June 30, 1961 in New York City, NY, USA, Matthew Westfall is sixty-two 
(62) years of age. He has been living in the Philippines for a continuous period of more
than 33 years. He is a respectable member of Barangay Forbes Park, Makati City and has
never committed any acts in violation of Philippine laws. He has deep ties to the
Philippines over three generations. His grandfather, Peter Gottlieb Westfall, arrived in the
Philippines from Russia in 1918, was employed as the head of San Miguel Brewery’s
Royal Soft Drinks Plant, and acquired Philippine citizenship in 1926. He died in 1937 and
was buried at Manila’s North Cemetery. Matthew Westfall’s father, Michael Peter
Westfall, born in 1937, was raised in Manila, with Filipino citizenship, until his family’s
immigration to America in 1937. Other relatives, Matthew’s uncles and aunts, also held
Filipino citizenship prior to their immigration to America prior to World War II.
Gainfully employed as an urban development and policy planner with US Agency 
for International Development since 1991, and the Asian Development Bank since 1994 
until his retirement in 2015, Matthew Westfall has designed, led and implemented 
numerous aid-funded projects in support of Philippine development. Now overseeing a 
PEZA-registered enterprise in Calamba, Laguna that support regional development, job 
promotion and export of world-class Philippine spirits, it is evident that he has a 
legitimate profession. 
Being American, Matthew Westfall speaks and writes fluent English, and has had 
language immersion during his stint in the US Peace Corps in Ilokano and conversational 
Tagalog. An award-winning author of book on Philippine history, and an award-winning 
writer and filmmaker who has documented challenges of urban poverty, housing, solid 
waste and indigenous peoples, he has genuinely immersed himself in Filipino culture 
and has already acquired Filipino traits. 


Married to Laura Gozon Jimenez in November 1996, Matthew and Laura’s three 
children have been educated in the Philippines in accredited private schools, and are 
Filipino citizens, fully meeting the sixth qualification. 
In light of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
   MICHAEL JOHN R. DUAVIT 
Representative 
            1st District, Rizal 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.  10761 
Introduced by Representative Michael John R. Duavit 
AN ACT 
GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO MATTHEW STEVES WESTFALL 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Grant of Philippine Citizenship to Matthew Steves Westfall –  
2    Matthew Steves Westfall is hereby granted Philippine citizenship with all the rights 
3    privileges and prerogatives, as well as the duties and obligations appurtenant thereto 
4    under the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. 
5     
SEC. 2. Oath of Allegiance -  Matthew Steves Westfall shall take the Oath of  
6    Allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before an officer duly authorized for this 
7    purpose. The Oath of Alliance shall be registered with the Bureau of Immigration. 
8     
SEC. 3. Certificate of Naturalization and Enjoyment of Philippine Citizenship– 
9    Upon Registration of the Oath of Allegiance, the Bureau of Immigration shall forthwith 
10  issue Matthew Steves Westfall’s Certificate of Naturalization, who shall thereupon 
11  enter into the full enjoyment of Philippine Citizenship. 
12 
SEC. 4. Effectivity – This Act shall take effect upon publication in The Official  
13  Gazette or in at least two (2) newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,