A representative of the Embassy of the Philippines in Ottawa
provided the following information on the above subjects during a
telephone interview on 16 June 1993. A foreign man who is married
to a Filipino woman is eligible to apply for Filipino nationality
if he meets all of the requirements; however, these requirements
apply to all applicants, regardless of the nationality of their
spouses, and are as follows:
1- Applicants must be at least 21 years of age.
2- Applicants must have resided continuously in the Philippines for
10 years. The residence requirement is five years for foreign men
whose wives are Filipino nationals, persons who have held honourary
positions with the Filipino government, and individuals who have
established a new industry or introduced a useful invention to the
Philippines.
3- Applicants must believe in the constitution of the Philippines
and be of good moral character.
4- Applicants must be able to speak either English or Spanish and
one of the principal Filipino languages such as Tagalog.
5- Applicants must have enroled their children of school age in a
Filipino public or private school where Filipino history,
government and civics are taught.
A foreign woman who is married to a Filipino national is
de
facto a Filipino national upon marriage providing she is not
disqualified under the law. These disqualifications, which apply to
all applicants regardless of gender, are as follows:
1- He or she is a national of a country at war with the Philippines
at the time of filing an application for Filipino nationality.
2- He or she is a national of a country whose government does not
allow Filipino nationals to become naturalized nationals of that
country.
3- He or she advocates violence.
4- He or she believes in polygamy.
5- He or she has committed a crime.
6- He or she suffers from incurable diseases.
7- He or she has not tried to be integrated into Filipino society.
Bearing in mind these criteria, the representative adds that,
while foreign women whose husbands are Filipinos are entitled to
all of the rights to which Filipino nationals are entitled, foreign
men whose wives are Filipinos are not entitled to these rights
until their applications for nationality have been approved.
Additional and/or corroborating information on the above subject
is currently unavailable to the DIRB.
Reference
Embassy of the Philippines, Ottawa. 16
June 1993. Telephone Interview with Representative.
