Republic of the Philippines  
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City  
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session  
HOUSE BILL NO. 10984 
Introduced by HON. FLORIDA P. ROBES 
AN ACT  
GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO ETHAN KWON 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The desire of Mr. Ethan Kwon to be a Filipino cannot be separated from the history of 
his family in the Philippines. Mr. Ethan Soonbum Kwon is a Korean born, United States 
national,  born on May 13, 1975 in Korea. His family established a business in the Philippines 
in 1985 and relocated permanently in 1989, when his father secured a Special Investor’s 
Resident Visa. In fact, he studied in Manila from middle school until he finished his secondary 
education. He then moved to the United States of America to finish his Bachelor’s Degree. 
Despite this, he frequents the Philippines during breaks as his family stayed in the country. 
His father, Dr. Hyukwon “Nick” Kwon, is one of the founding members of Enderun 
College and his mother, Aedoh “Rosa” Kwon currently manages the philanthropic activities of 
the couple. Even after the passing of Dr. Nick Kwon in 2018, the “Nick & Rosa Kwon 
Scholarship Grant”, which started in 2005, still continues. 
They also started to introduce and expand the New Village Movement in the 
Philippines. Also known as the Saemaul Undong, the movement was a community-driven 
development program for long-term economic development. When Typhoon Yolanda 
(international name: Haiyan) ravaged several provinces, caused a great extent of damage and 
reported unprecedented casualties, Mr. Ethan Kwon, as then the Student President of Park 
Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul at Yeungnam University, raised almost 1 million 
pesos from his fellow students, faculty and staff to support disaster aid and relief. 
For his graduate school thesis, Mr. Kwon focused on studying deep-well construction 
projects in the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, and through this project, he also helped 
provide additional accessible, safe water source for underserved communities. Remarkably, 
this has been endorsed by the Education Department of the Republic of Korea. He is also a 
staunch advocate of the positive online behavior through the Sunfull Internet Peace Movement 
which aims to combat cyberbullying and foster a respectful digital environment. Mr. Kwon is 
also a member various business ventures which provided job opportunities and technological 
advancements for Filipinos. 
Mr. Kwon and his family’s philanthropy and professional contribution to the country 
did not end there. Similar to how Filipinos consider the family as the foundation of their social 
October 8, 2024
2:09 pm


life, with his father’s death six (6) years ago, Mr. Ethan Kwon felt the need to reconnect with 
the place he considers his home, the Philippines. 
With his family’s extensive relation to the country and Filipinos alike, he would like to 
continue their family’s legacy, pledging fully, his allegiance to the Philippines. 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought. 
FLORIDA P. ROBES 


Republic of the Philippines  
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City  
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session  
HOUSE BILL NO. 10984 
Introduced by HON. FLORIDA P. ROBES 
AN ACT  
GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO ETHAN KWON 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:  
SECTION 1. Mr. Ethan Kwon is hereby granted Philippine citizenship with all the rights, 
privileges and prerogatives, as well as the duties and obligations appurtenant thereto under the 
Constitution and the laws of the Republic of the Philippines.   
SEC. 2.   Mr. Ethan Kwon shall take the Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines 
before an officer duly authorized to administer the same. The Oath of Allegiance shall be 
registered with the Bureau of Immigration.  
SEC. 3.  Upon registration of the Oath of Allegiance, the Bureau of Immigration shall issue a 
Certificate of Naturalization to Mr. Ethan Kwon who shall thereupon enter into the full 
enjoyment of Philippine citizenship.   
SEC. 4.  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette 
or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,