LESSON 12
CITIZENSHIP
This lesson provides citizens right, privileges and obligation as a
member of the political community
At the end of the lesson, the students are able to:
1. Explain citizenship and avenues for citizens participation
2. Distinguish the natural born from naturalized Filipino.
3.Enumerate the rights, privileges and obligation of citizens.
CITIZENSHIP
• Citizen
-A members of a democratic community who enjoys full civil and political
rights and is accorded protection inside and outside the territory of the
state. Citizens maybe regarded by all nations either born in their territories
or born of their citizens, or it could be both
• Citizenship
- It denotes membership of a citizen in a political society which
membership implies, reciprocally, a duty of allegiance on the part of a
membership and duty of protection on the part of the state.
Acquisition of Citizenship
• Involuntary method
- By birth because of blood relationship (jus sanguinis) or place of birth (jus soli).
Membership in a nation is largely involuntary; that is most people initially
become citizens of a nation and subject to it’s rules without any deliberate choice
or conscious act. ( Ranney, 1995).
• Voluntary method
- By naturalization
Naturalization as cited by De Leon (2014) is the act of formally adapting a
foreigner into the political body of the state and clothing him with the rights and
privileges of citizenship. It is a voluntary method of acquiring citizenship by
renouncing his former citizenship and embracing a new one.
Obligations of citizens
1. Loyalty or have a sense of patriotism
2. Obeys law.
3. Participation in political processes.
The following are Citizens of the Philippines
1. Those who are Citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adaption of this
constitution;
2. Those whose Fathers or Mothers are Citizens of the Philippines.
3. Those born on January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippines
citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and
4. Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.
Natural-born citizens
Are those who are citizens of the Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire
or perfect their Philippines Citizenship.
Philippine citizenship may be lost or reacquired in the manner provided by law.
Two ways of Losing Citizenship
1. Voluntarily
a. By naturalization in a foreign country
b. By express renunciation of citizenship
c. By supporting the constitution and laws of a foreign country.
d. By rendering service to the armed forces of a foreign country.
2. Involuntarily
a. By the cancellation of his certificate of naturalization by the court.
b. By having been declared as a deserter in the Philippines armed forces in time of war.
Ways of Reacquiring Citizenship
a. By the repatriation of deserters of the Philippines armed forces
b. By a direct act of the Congress
c. By naturalization
Citizens of the Philippines who marry aliens shall retain their citizenship unless by
their act or omission they are deemed, under the law, to have renounced it.
The dual allegiance of citizens is inimical to the national interest and shall be dealt
with by law.
Note: What section 5 prohibits is not dual citizenship but dual allegiance.
Dual citizenship is a situation in which a person simultaneously owes, by some
positive act, Loyalty to two or more states. It arises because our laws cannot
control laws of other countries on citizenship.
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9225
Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition act of 2003
“Natural-born Citizens of the Philippines who have lost their Philippines citizenship
because of their naturalization as citizens of a foreign country are at this moment
deemed to have re-acquired Philippines citizenship upon taking the oath of
allegiance to the republic”.
