(The Manila Times) - SOME 26,000 former Filipinos have already regained their Philippine citizenship since the Bureau of Immigration (BI) started implementing the dual citizenship law three years ago.
“As a result, these former Pinoys are again enjoying their rights and privileges, including the right to vote, as citizens of the Philippines,” Immigration Acting Commissioner Roy Almoro said Tuesday.
Almoro said that of the total applications approved, 12,000 were processed at the BI main office in Intramuros, while the rest were filed with the various Philippine consulates abroad.
It was in 2003 when Congress passed Republic Act 9225, or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act, but the immigration bureau started processing only in April 2004 after Malacañang designated the bureau as the lead implementing agency for the law.
Under that act, also known as the Dual Citizenship Law, former natural-born Filipinos who later became naturalized citizens of other countries are declared not to have lost their Philippine citizenship.
The law was enacted in line with the thrust of President Arroyo’s administration to encourage former Filipinos now settled overseas to return to the motherland, buy property and invest in business ventures or simply enjoy their lives as retirees.
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