On Becoming a Filipino Citizen

On Becoming a Filipino Citizen

The Filipino Citizenship

Who are the citizens of a country? According to Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, the citizens are the people who have the rights to live in a country and to enjoy the benefits of its resources. Citizenship in a country is complete if he/she enjoys civil, political, and social rights as well as other rights.

Along with these benefits of citizenship come great responsibilities. As part of a country, a citizen must be loyal to his/her country, serve it, and defend it when necessary.

On Becoming a Filipino Citizen

What are bases of being a citizen of the Philippines? According to the 1987 Constitution, there are two bases of Filipino citizenship:

• Those who are born in which either parent is a Filipino citizen

• Those who acquired Filipino citizenship through naturalization

The Philippines adheres to the jus sanguinis principle. According to this principle a person's citizenship depends on his/her parents' citizenship. A child is a Filipino citizen if either of his or her parents is a Filipino regardless of the child's country of birth. For example, a child whose father is an American and was born in the United States but whose mother is a Filipino is considered a Filipino. The same holds true for a child who was born in Korea and has a Korean mother and but whose father is a Filipino.

The other basis for citizenship is the jus soli principle. The country of birth determines the person's citizenship. For example, a child born in the United States is an American citizen regardless of his or her parents' nationality. This law prevails in the United States of America. To summarize, not all who live in the Philippines are citizens of the country. Some of them have parents who are both not Filipino citizens. Some are foreigners who stay in the Philippines as tourists.

To better understand the above discussion, read who are considered or recognized as Filipino citizens as indicated in Article IV of the 1987 Constitution:

• Those are citizens of the Philippines during the promulgation of the Constitution;

• Those whose father or mother is a Filipino;

• Those who were born before January 17, 1973, whose mother is a Filipino, and who chose to be Filipinos when they reached the right age; and,

• Those who became citizens according to the law.

Do you have any question about Becoming a Filipino Citizen? If none answer the question on the next slides.

Open Ended

Review your answer to the activity you wrote at the beginning of thie lesson. Compare your answer with the discussion on the Filipino citizenship above. What can you say?

Open Ended

Enumerate the bases of Filipino citizenship.