Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular S
House Bil No. 079

Introduced by Hon. ROSANNA “RIA” V. VERGARA

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to grant Philippine citizenship to Mr. Joseph Sigelman, an American
citizen, who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Company of
Manila (AG8P).

Born on the 6" of February 1971 in New York, USA, Mr. Sigelman first came to the
Philippines in 2004 and established a home in Manila. Struck by the immense talent in this
country and by the possibilities of developing an important company that would play a
leadership role on the world stage, Mr. Sigelman and a group of other shareholders led the
acquisition of AG&P in 2010. While AG&P had a long, glorious heritage in the Philippines, it
became commercially slow in recent years. Thus, under Mr. Sigelman’s leadership, AG&P
then developed into a global powerhouse not only in construction and infrastructure
modularization, but also in LNG supply chain design, development and gas marketing.
Through his tenure, AG&P has executed over $1 billion worth of new contracts, much of it
related to LNG. Growing at a fast rate, AG&P is also pursuing projects to build or expand
domestic petrochemical facilities, power plants and refineries. AG&P has over $200 million
worth of physical assets in the Philippines; it has made significant investments in developing
and modernizing its facilities, which covers 150 hectares in Batangas. Under Mr. Sigelman’s
stewardship, AG&P has become a respected company not only in the Philippines, but a
Philippine company respected across the world.

It is equally worthy to note that AG&P also invests heavily in developing its Filipino
workforce through training and education. With Mr. Sigelman’s guidance, AG&P has
developed a significant in-house training institution in partnership with the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority, with an annual training capacity of 1,500
personnel. AG&P has upskilled the local workforce to global-leading safety and quality
standards across disciplines such as welding, piping, structural fitting, scaffolding, insulation,

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electrical and instrumentation. Indeed, such efforts have directly transformed the lives and
prospects of our Filipino workers.

Moreover, as of July 2019, AG&P has completed 57 million safe man-hours, which is
a global benchmark reflecting AG&P’s strong processes and cultures. Having accomplished
this, AG&P is thus able to work with many of the world's top engineering, construction and
LNG companies and this consequently contribute to the expansion of business and
employment in the Philippines.

At the same time, AG&P has also selected a local community under its ‘Adopt-A-
Community Series’ program with the endorsement from the Department of Social Welfare
and Development in Bauan, Batangas. AGP is initiating the process of providing an avenue
for social improvement and development not only through the construction of a reading room
facility in San Teodoro Elementary School but also through its assistance and sponsorships
for students’ school supplies. AG&P also supports the sharing of subject matter expertise to
households and community members with respect to various matters such as fire and
household safety, livelihood training and workshops for women, school leadership for
elementary students and career workshops for high-school students. Furthermore, AG&P
will lead the construction of community facilities such as a youth basketball court. Finally,
AG&P continues to educate stakeholders about basic healthcare and provides free and
supplemental medical and dental services, including consultations and free medicines

Prior to all these noteworthy endeavors with AG&P, Mr. Sigelman received his
bachelor’s degree from the Woodrow Wilson School in Princeton University in 1993 and his
Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School in 1997. He began
his career as an investment banker in New York with Lazard Fréres, before joining Goldman
Sachs in London. His first company, OfficeTiger, a start-up that focused on the provision of
accounting, legal, pre-media and other judgment-driven services, was sold for $250 million
to RR Donnelley. For his achievements early on, the World Economic Forum 2008 named
Mr. Sigelman a Young Global Leader. He also became a Life Member of the Council on
Foreign Relations and was named by Business Week Magazine as Annual Star of Asia
2006.

‘As seen from the foregoing, Mr. Sigelman has indisputably shown not only his
noteworthy skills and hard work, but more importantly his deep love for the Philippines and
its people. He wishes to continue to invest significantly both in AG&P and in other domestic
ventures to drive Filipino exports and do his part for the economy. Indeed, such sincere


commitment to the country anchors his wish to become a citizen and to make his life here
together with his wife, Ayesha, and his children, Maya Jessica and Daniel Cyrus, who were
both born in the Philippines.

Truly, Mr. Sigelman has embraced Filipino culture, tradition and ideals and would
cherish his citizenship in the Philippines dearly. To grant Joseph Sigelman the privilege of
becoming a Filipino citizen would be a testament to the country's appreciation and
recognition of his valuable contributions to the Philippines’ growth and development. More
80, this privilege will allow him to truly call the Philippines a home for himself and his family.

In view of this, immediate approval of this bill is humbly and earnestly sought.

V.V

ROSANNA\“RIA” V.|VERGARA
Representative, 3rd District of Nueva Ecija


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No, _ 307

Introduced by Rep. Rosanna “Ria” V. Vergara

AN ACT
GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO JOSEPH SIGELMAN

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Mr. Joseph Sigelman 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. Joseph Sigelman 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. Joseph Sigelman 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,