SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE P H ILIP P IN E S  
)
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. No. 
1566
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'17 
AUG 24 
P 2 5 9
In tro d u c e d  by S e n ato r Juan M iguel F. Z u b iri
AN ACT
AM ENDING COMMONWEALTH ACT NO. 473, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE 
"REVISED NATURALIZATIO N LAW " AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
E xp la n a to ry N ote
Citizenship, as the legal status of being a member of a particular country or sovereign 
state, is an important aspect of a person's civil and political standing. Citizenship affords 
certain rights and protections to a person, while imposing duties upon him in exchange for 
being part of a cohesive civilized society and a recognized son or daughter of a nation.
With the paramount importance of citizenship in the exercise of one's civil and political 
rights, it is only proper to keep the laws governing the acquisition of citizenship up to date. 
Unfortunately, our naturalization law has been unchanged since its enactment in 1939, save 
for additional provisions legislated in 1950. While globalization and modern society have 
evolved rapidly and significantly throughout the years, it is imperative for us to bring our 
naturalization laws into this century and amend its outdated provisions.
Naturalization facilitates the complete integration of a foreign national into our society. 
Research shows that affording qualified and deserving persons the benefits of citizenship 
increases their productivity and consumer spending, which benefits our businesses and 
economy. Further, after they have signified and proven their intention to embrace Filipino 
laws, culture, and values, the acquisition of Filipino citizenship affords them certainty, security 
and stability in their life, more opportunities to contribute to our economy, and a sense of 
identity and belonging to our nation.
Thus, this bill seeks to amend our naturalization laws and bring them up to date to our 
modern world by facilitating the process for acquiring citizenship, while still preserving the 
integrity and importance of being a proud Filipino citizen. The passage of this measure is 
earnestly sought.
AN  M IGUEL F. Z U B IR I


SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE P H ILIP P IN E S  
)
Second Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s.B. No. 
15 6 6
f
•17 
AUG 24 
P2--59
iitCLi Vi-.- D;'.
In tro d u c e d  by S e n ato r Juan M iguel F. Z u b iri
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AN ACT
AM ENDING  COMMONWEALTH ACT NO. 47 3, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
THE "REVISED NATURALIZATIO N LAW " AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o f Representatives o f the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Section 2 of The Revised Naturalization Law is hereby amended to 
read as follows:
"Sec. 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.] 1. [He m ] Must not be less than [twenty-one] EIGHTEEN (1 8 ) 
years of age on the day of the hearing of the petition;
[Second.] 2. [He m ] Must have resided in the Philippines for a continuous 
period of not less than [te n ] FIVE (5 ) years.
[Third.] 3. [He m ] Must be of good moral character and believe[s] 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;]
4. MUST HAVE SOME KNOWN LUCRATIVE TRADE, PROFESSION,
OR LAWFUL OCCUPATION;
[Fifth.] 5. [He m ] Must be able to speak and write in F ILIP IN O , English,
[o r Spanish] or any one of the principal Philippine languages;


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[Sixth.] 6. [He m ] Must have enrolled his minor children of school age in 
any of the public or private schools recognized by the [Office of Private 
Education of the Philippines,] DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OR 
COM M ISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION, 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 
[o f him ] prior to the hearing of his OR HER petition for naturalization as 
Philippine citizen."
SEC. 2. Section 3 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 3. Special qualifications. -T h e  [te n ] FIVE years of continuous 
residence required under the last preceding section shall be [understood 
as] reduced to [five ] THREE (3 ) years for any petitioner having any of 
the following qualifications:
[1. Having honorably held office under the Government of the Philippines 
or under that of any of the provinces, cities, municipalities, or political 
subdivisions thereof;]
[2 .] 1. Having established a new industry or introduced a useful invention 
in the Philippines;
[3 .] 2. Being married to a Filipino [wom an] citizen;
[4 . Having been engaged as a teacher in the Philippines in a public or 
recognized private school not established for the exclusive instruction of 
children of persons of a particular nationality or race, in any of the 
branches of education or industry for a period of not less than two years;] 
3. Having been born in the Philippines; or
[5 .] 4. HAVING ENGAGED IN  CONSISTENT CHARITABLE, SOCIO- 
C IV IC  OR PHILANTHRO PIC W ORK IN  THE P H ILIP P IN E S  DURING 
THE 
ENTIRE 
PERIOD 
OF 
RESIDENCE 
REQUIRED 
AND 
RECOGNIZED BY THE LOCAL COM M UNITY BENEFITED BY SUCH 
A C T IV IT Y ."
SEC. 3. Section 4 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 4. Who are disqualified. -  XXX
1. Persons opposed to organized government or affiliated with any 
association or group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines 
opposing all organized governments;


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2. Persons defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of violence,
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personal assault, assassination or acts of terrorism for the success and
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predominance of their ideas;
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[3. Polygamists or believers in the practice of polygamy;]
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[4 .] 3. Persons convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude;
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[5 .] 4. Persons suffering from mental [alienation] INCAPACITY or
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incurable contagious diseases;
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[6 .] 5. Persons who, during the period of their residence in the Philippines,
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have not mingled socially with Filipinos, or who have not evinced a sincere
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desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions, and ideals of Filipinos;
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[7 .] 6. Citizens or subjects of nations with whom [the United States and]
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the Philippines are at war, during the period of such war;
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[8 .] 7. Citizens or subjects of a foreign country [other than the United
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States] whose laws do not grant Filipinos the right to become naturalized
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citizens of subjects thereof;
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8. MEMBERS OF A JU D IC IA LLY  DECLARED AND OUTLAWED
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TERRORIST O RG ANIZATIO N, ASSOCIATION OR GROUP OF
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PERSONS, OR OF ANY PERSON CHARGED W ITH  OR SUSPECTED
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OF THE CRIME OF TERRORISM OR CONSPIRACY TO CO M M IT
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TERRORISM, ACCORDING TO REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9 3 7 2  OR THE
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HUMAN SECURITY ACT."
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SEC. 4. Section 6 is hereby amended to read as follows:
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"Sec. 6. Persons exem pt from  requirem ent to make a declaration
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o f intention. -  Persons born in the Philippines and have received their
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primary and secondary education in public schools or those recognized by
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the Government and not limited to any race or nationality, and those who
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have resided continuously in the Philippines for a period of [th irty]
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TW ENTY (2 0 ) years or more before filing their application may be
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naturalized without having to make a declaration of intention upon
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complying with the other requirements of this Act. X X X"
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SEC. 5. Section 7 is hereby amended to read as follows:
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"Sec. 7. P etition fo r citizenship. —X X X
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ANY APPLICANT W HO HAS RESIDED CONTINUOUSLY IN
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THE P H ILIP P IN E S  FOR A PERIOD OF TW ENTY (2 0 ) YEARS OR
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MORE PRIOR TO THE 
FILIN G  OF H IS PETITIO N 
IS  NOT
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CONSTRAINED FROM LEAVING THE P H ILIP P IN E S  W H ILE HIS


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PETITIO N IS  PENDING IN  COURT, AND THEREFORE, IS  NOT 
REQUIRED TO STATE IN  H IS PETITIO N THAT HE W IL L  RESIDE 
CONTINUOUSLY IN  THE P H ILIP P IN E S  FROM THE DATE OF THE 
FILIN G  OF THE PETITIO N UP TO THE TIM E  OF HIS AD M ISSIO N  
TO P H ILIP P IN E  C IT IZ E N S H IP ."
SEC. 6. Section 9 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 9. N otification and appearance. - Immediately upon the filing 
of the petition, it shall be the duty of the clerk of court to publish the same 
at petitioner's expense, once a week for three consecutive weeks, in the 
Official Gazette and in one newspaper of general circulation in the province 
where the petitioner resides, and to have copies of said petition and a 
general notice of hearing posted in a public and conspicuous place in his 
office or in the building where said office is located, setting forth in such 
notice the name, birthplace and residence of the petitioner, the date and 
place of his arrival in the Philippines, the names of the witnesses whom 
the petitioner proposes to introduce in support of his petition, and the date 
of the hearing of the petition[, which hearing shall not be held within 
ninety days from the date of the last publication of the notice.] NO 
PETITIO N FOR P H ILIP P IN E  C ITIZE N S H IP  SHALL BE HEARD BY 
THE COURT U N TIL AFTER THREE (3 ) MONTHS FROM THE DATE 
OF THE LAST PUBLICATIO N OF THE NOTICE. The clerk shall, as soon 
as possible, forward copies of the petition, the sentence, the naturalization 
certificate, and other pertinent data to the [Department of the Interior, 
the Bureau of Justice, the Provincial Inspector of the Philippine 
Constabulary of the province and the Justice of the Peace of the 
municipality 
wherein 
the 
petitioner 
resides] 
OFFICE 
OF 
THE 
PRESIDENT, THE OFFICE OF THE SO LICITO R GENERAL, THE 
PRO VINCIAL DIRECTOR OF THE P H ILIP P IN E  NATIO NAL POLICE 
AND THE REGIONAL TR IA L COURT WHERE THE PETITIONER 
RESIDES."
SEC. 7. Section 10 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 10. Hearing o f the Petition. -  No petition shall be heard within 
thirty days preceding any election. The hearing shall be public, and the 
Solicitor-General, either himself or through his delegate or the provincial 
fiscal concerned, shall appear on behalf of the [Commonwealth] 
REPUBLIC of the Philippines at all the proceedings and at the hearing. If,


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after the hearing, the court believes, in view of the evidence taken, that 
the petitioner has all the qualifications required by, and none of the 
disqualifications specified in this Act and has complied with all requisites 
herein established, it shall GRANT THE PETITIO N and order the [proper 
naturalization certificate to be issued and the registration of the said 
naturalization certificate in the proper civil registry as required in Section 
Ten of Act Numbered Three thousand seven hundred and fifty-three] 
ISSUANCE 
AND 
REGISTRATION 
OF THE 
NATURALIZATIO N 
CERTIFICATE IN  THE PROPER C IV IL  REGISTRY IN  ACCORDANCE 
W ITH  SECTION 12 OF T H IS  ACT."
SEC. 8. Section 11 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 11. Appeal. -  The [final sentence] DECISION OF THE 
REGIONAL TR IA L COURT may, at the instance of either of the parties, 
be appealed to the [Supreme Court] COURT OF APPEALS."
SEC. 9. Section 12 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 12. Issuance o f the Certificate o f Naturalization. — [If, after 
the lapse of thirty days from and after the date on which the parties were 
notified of the Court, no appeal has been filed, or if, upon appeal, the 
decision of the court has been confirmed by the Supreme Court, and the 
said decision has become final, the clerk of court which heard the petition 
shall issue to the petitioner a naturalization certificate which shall, among 
other things, state the following:] THE DECISION RENDERED BY THE 
REGIONAL TR IA L COURT, OR PROMULGATED BY THE APPELLATE 
COURT, SHALL BECOME FINAL AFTER THE LAPSE OF TH IR TY 
DAYS FROM THE DATE OF NOTICE.
NO DECISION GRANTING THE PETITIO N FOR P H ILIP P IN E  
C ITIZE N S H IP  SHALL BECOME EXECUTORY U N TIL AFTER ONE (1 ) 
YEAR FROM ITS PROMULGATION AND AFTER THE COURT, ON 
PROPER HEARING, W ITH  THE ATTENDANCE OF THE SOLICITOR 
GENERAL OR HIS REPRESENTATIVE, IS  SATISFIED, AND SO 
FINDS, THAT DURING THE INTERVENING  TIM E , THE PETITIO NER 
HAS:
1. NOT LEFT THE P H ILIP P IN E S , UNLESS GRANTED A TRAVEL 
AUTHORITY BY THE SECRETARY OF JUSTICE OR H IS DULY 
DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE;


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2. DEDICATED 
HIMSELF 
CONTINUOUSLY 
TO 
A 
LAWFUL 
CALLING OR PROFESSION;
3. NOT BEEN CONVICTED OF ANY OFFENSE OR VIO LATIO N  OF 
GOVERNMENT PROMULGATED RULES; OR
4. NOT COMMITTED ANY ACT PREJUDICIAL TO THE INTEREST 
OF THE NATIO N OR CONTRARY TO ANY GOVERNMENT 
ANNOUNCED POLICIES;
PROVIDED, THAT THE DECISION GRANTING THE APPLICATIO N 
IS  IM M ED IATELY EXECUTORY UPON FIN A LITY  THEREOF IF  THE 
PETITIONER HAS RESIDED CONTINUOUSLY IN  THE COUNTRY 
FOR A PERIOD OF TW ENTY (2 0 ) YEARS OR MORE BEFORE FILIN G  
HIS OR HER PETITIO N.
UPON A FIN D IN G  THAT THE ABOVE C O N DITIO NS HAVE 
BEEN SATISFIED, THE ORDER OF THE COURT GRANTING 
C ITIZE N S H IP  SHALL BE REGISTERED AND THE APPLICANT 
SHALL, 
IN  
OPEN 
COURT, 
TAKE 
THE 
FOLLOW ING 
OATH, 
WHEREUPON, AND NOT BEFORE, HE W ILL  BE ENTITLED TO ALL 
THE PRIVILEGES OF A F IL IP IN O  C ITIZEN :
" I ,  ______________ , SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I  RENOUNCE
ABSOLUTELY AND FOREVER ALL ALLEGIANCE AND FID ELITY TO 
ANY FOREIGN PRINCE, POTENTATE, STATE OR SOVEREIGNTY,
AND PARTICULARLY TO THE __________________ , OF W H IC H  AT
TH IS  TIM E I  AM A SUBJECT OR C ITIZE N ; THAT I  W ILL  SUPPORT 
AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE P H ILIP P IN E S  AND 
THAT I  W ILL  OBEY THE LAWS, LEGAL ORDERS AND DECREES 
PROMULGATED BY THE DULY CONSTITUTED AUTHO RITIES OF 
THE REPUBLIC OF THE P H ILIPPIN ES.
SO HELP ME GOD."
THE CLERK OF COURT W H IC H  HEARD THE PETITIO N SHALL 
ISSUE A NATURALIZATIO N CERTIFICATE W H IC H  SHALL, AMONG 
OTHER THING S, STATE THE FOLLOW ING: The file number of the 
petition, the number of the naturalization certificate, the signature of the 
person naturalized affixed in the presence of the clerk of the court, the 
personal circumstances of the person naturalized, the dates on which his 
declaration of intention and petition were filed, the date of the decision 
granting the petition, and the name of the judge who rendered the


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decision. A photograph of the petitioner with the dry seal affixed thereto 
of the court which granted the petition must be affixed to the certificate."
[ X X X ]
SEC. 10. Section 15 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 15. Effect o f the naturalization on spouse and children. -  
Any [wom an] PERSON who is now or may hereafter be married to a 
NATURAL-BORN citizen of the Philippines, and who might HIMSELF OR 
herself be lawfully naturalized shall be deemed a citizen of the Philippines. 
X X X "
SEC. 11. Section 16 is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 16. R ight o f [widow] SURVIVING SPOUSE and children o f 
p e titio n e r[s] who [have] HAS died. — In case a petitioner should die 
before the final decision has been rendered, his OR HER [w idow ] 
SU RVIVIN G  SPOUSE and children may continue the proceedings. The 
decision rendered in the case shall, so far as the [w idow ] SURVIVING  
SPOUSE and minor children are concerned, produce the same legal effect 
as if it has been rendered during the life of the petitioner.
SEC. 12. Transitory provision. -  Upon the effectivity of this Act, its provisions 
shall apply to cases pending in court and to those where the applicant has not yet 
taken the oath of citizenship.
SEC. 13. Separability clause. -  If any provision, section or part of this Act shall 
be declared unconstitutional or invalid, such judgm ent shall not affect, invalidate 
or impair any other provisions, sections or parts hereof.
SEC. 14. Repealing clause. - Republic Act No. 530, and such other laws, 
decrees, orders, rules and regulations as are inconsistent with this Act are hereby 
repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 15. Effectivity. -T h is  Act shall take effect within fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,