Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Representative Elpidio F. Barzaga, Jr. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Article IV, Section 1 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 require 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 these laws provide for qualifications of an applicant for 
Philippine citizenship.  On the other hand, legislative naturalization is a direct grant of citizenship by 
Congress to qualified foreigners. Legislative grant of Philippine citizenship is considered a blanket 
authority of Congress. 
This bill seeks to grant Philippine citizenship to Father Luciano Felloni, an Argentinian priest, 
by direct act of Congress in recognition of his exemplary work for the nation through his dedicated 
priestly service.  He also possesses all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications 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 be not 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; 
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 Philippine languages; and 
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4:11 pm
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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 Education1 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 the residence in the Philippines required of 
him prior to the hearing of his petition for naturalization as Philippine citizen.” 
Born on May 28, 1973 in Argentina, Fr. Luciano Felloni is forty-nine (49) years of age. He has 
been living in the Philippines for a continuous period of more than twenty-five (25) years now.  He is 
a respectable member of Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City where he currently serves as the 
Parish Priest of the Kristong Hari Parish. His former parishioners at Payatas, Quezon City also have 
nothing but veneration for Fr. Luciano Felloni who performed his duties and responsibilities as a Parish 
Priest for a number of years. Furthermore, Fr. Luciano Felloni has never committed any acts in 
violation of Philippine laws.   
Having served our fellow Filipinos as a Parish Priest in several Catholic churches and even 
officiating mass every Wednesday prior to the pandemic at the House of Representatives evidently 
display that Fr. Luciano Felloni has a legitimate profession. 
Being an Argentinian, Fr. Luciano Felloni speaks and writes eloquent Spanish as well as 
English. Considering the relationships that he has built with his Filipino parishioners over the years, 
Fr. Luciano Felloni is also a fluent speaker and writer of Tagalog and has genuinely immersed himself 
in the Filipino culture that he has already acquired Filipino traits.  
Considering the vow of celibacy that Fr. Luciano Felloni has incessantly committed himself to 
and embraced the demands of the priesthood, the sixth qualification to become a Filipino citizen does 
not apply to him. 
In light of the foregoing, the approval of the bill is earnestly sought. 
Elpidio F. Barzaga, Jr 
4th District, Cavite 


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