Naturalization for a foreigner married to a Filipina

The process that foreigners undergo to become Filipino citizens is called naturalization.

Naturalization is a legal process that grants foreigners full recognition as citizens of the Philippines. It gives them rights and privileges such as voting, obtaining a Philippine passport and accessing public services. As citizens, they also gain the right to legally work or run a business in the country and to receive protection from the government.

Along with these rights come responsibilities, such as paying taxes and obeying the laws of the country. The naturalization process in the Philippines ensures that those who wish to become citizens truly understand and accept the responsibilities and rights of being a Filipino.

Marriage between a foreigner and a Filipina does not automatically grant the foreigner Filipino citizenship. Section 2 of Commonwealth Act (CA) 473, or the Revised Naturalization Law, outlines the qualifications required for naturalization: "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. 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

"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 Education 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."

One of the basic qualifications is continuous residence in the country for at least ten (10) years. However, according to Section 3(3) of CA 473, the required 10 years of continuous residence in the Philippines may be reduced to five (5) years if the applicant is married to a Filipina, viz.: "Sec. 3. Special qualifications.

The ten years of continuous residence required under the second condition of the last preceding Sec. shall be understood as reduced to five years for any petitioner having any of the following qualifications: x x x "3. Being married to a Filipino woman; x x x" In response to your question, your marriage did not automatically make your French husband a Filipino citizen. He still has to go through the process of naturalization.

He will need to submit an application, and it will be carefully reviewed by the court to determine whether he will be granted a Certificate of Naturalization. The effect of your marriage is that the required 10 years of continuous residence in the Philippines will be reduced. It may become only five (5) years instead of 10.

Aside from this, he must still meet the qualifications stated by law, and he must not fall under any of the disqualifications.

The disqualifications are listed in Section 4 of C.A. 473: "Sec. 4. Who are disqualified. – The following cannot be naturalized as Philippine citizens:

"Persons opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association or group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing all organized governments;

"Persons defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of violence, personal assault, or assassination for the success and predominance of their ideas;

"Polygamists or believers in the practice of polygamy;

"Persons convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude;

"Persons suffering from mental alienation or incurable contagious diseases;

"Persons who, during the period of their residence in the Philippines, have not mingled socially with the Filipinos, or who have not evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions, and ideals of the Filipinos;

"Citizens or subjects of nations with whom the United States and the Philippines are at war, during the period of such war;

"Citizens or subjects of a foreign country other than the United States whose laws do not grant Filipinos the right to become naturalized citizens or subjects thereof."

Source: Manila Times

Proposed 99-year land lease to foreign investors ‘game-changing’

The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) on Wednesday urged lawmakers to immediately pass the 99-Year Land Lease Bill, seen as a “game-changing” reform that will help elevate the country’s global competitiveness and attract “transformative” investments.

In a strongly worded statement, the business group framed the proposal as a “historic opportunity” for the Philippines to align itself with Asia’s top-performing economies by offering long-term land lease options to foreign investors.

The bill seeks to allow qualified foreign investors to lease private land for up to 99 years, a model already adopted by regional neighbors such as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

“This is not merely a policy adjustment; it is a strategic leap forward, aligning the Philippines with Asia’s most dynamic economies. The time to act is now,” FFCCCII president Victor Lim said.

To address national security and land ownership concerns, the FFCCCII proposed certain safeguards. These include strict oversight by the Department of Trade and Industry and investment promotion agencies, anti-speculation provisions requiring projects to start within three years and compliance with agrarian reform laws.

“Just like Singapore and Hong Kong, we can attract big investments while keeping sovereignty intact,” the FFCCCII said.

Catalyst for industrialization

The group pointed to long-term land lease models in other Southeast Asian countries as catalysts for industrialization and investment. Singapore’s transformation into a global financial and tech hub and Indonesia’s expansion in renewable energy and agro-industrial development were among the examples cited.

The business group said the impact would spread throughout the economy, driving job creation, boosting tax revenues and strengthening local enterprises.

“This reform will help unlock multibillion-dollar investments in advanced manufacturing, tourism, agro-industry, and renewable energy,” the FFCCCII read. “The ripple effect? Millions of high-quality jobs, stronger MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) and higher tax revenues for infrastructure, health care and education,” it added.

The group emphasized that global investors were watching how the Philippines would respond, especially as regional competitors continued to implement pro-investment reforms.

It warned that delays in passing the measure could undermine the country’s competitiveness in the region.

“Global capital flows where policies are welcoming. While Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and others aggressively court investors, the Philippines cannot afford hesitation,” the statement said.

Source: Inquirer

Civil forfeiture bill filed

House leaders filed a bill on Thursday, November 7, that seeks to transfer ownership of illegally acquired land and properties by foreign nationals to the government. 

Members of the House Quad Committee proposed House Bill 11403, or the Civil Forfeiture Act, in light of their suspicions that foreign nationals have unlawfully acquired several hectares of Philippine land by obtaining Filipino citizenship through fraudulent means.

Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte, 2nd District), overall chairman of the joint committee, said in an ambush interview that the bill is necessary to emphasize that foreign nationals are prohibited by the 1987 Constitution from having full ownership of Philippine land.

“When we discovered this, we found that they had also purchased a lot of questionable land because they are not Filipinos.… It should be clear that [foreign nationals] cannot acquire 100% of properties here,” he said in Filipino.

This aligns with Section 2 of Article XII, which stipulates that foreign ownership of corporations in certain industries is limited to a maximum of 40%.

It is also necessary to prevent seized land and properties from being sold while they are still under investigation, Barbers added.

The mega panel has been investigating the illegal operations of offshore scam hubs, or POGOs, in the country. Criminal activities, such as human trafficking and the illegal drug trade, have allegedly been uncovered in these establishments.

On October 21, the House Quad Comm handed over the documents it gathered related to the land ownership of Chinese nationals to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), urging the latter to probe these land titles.

Where will forfeited properties go?

Section 10 of the proposed legislation required agricultural land acquired through civil forfeiture proceedings to be distributed to qualified farmers.

Meanwhile, seized non-agricultural land must be allocated for use in schools, hospitals and other social welfare establishments.

Alternatively, non-agricultural land may be donated to the local government unit where it is located for the development of social service facilities.

The bill also cites Sections 7 and 8 of Article XII, which outlines that private lands can only be transferred to qualified individuals or entities, particularly Filipino citizens. 

Should Filipinos born in the country lose their citizenship, they may still acquire private lands within the limitations set by the law.  

Section 3 of the proposed Civil Forfeiture Act clarifies that any transfer of real estate property to a foreign national who is not legally qualified to own land in the Philippines is considered “null and void,” making the transfer legally invalid. 

Section 4 further establishes the presumption that any real estate acquired by a foreign national in the country is unlawfully acquired unless the foreign national can prove a legal exception.

According to the bill’s explanatory note, reinforcing existing laws prohibiting foreign land ownership strengthens their enforcement in addressing and eliminating corrupt practices, such as using late birth registration to circumvent the constitution.

This is the third bill filed by the House Quad Committee in response to its inquiry findings, following the first two bills that criminalize extrajudicial killings and ban POGOs in the country.

Source: Philstar