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63

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COMMONWEALTHACTNo.63

ANACTPROVIDINGFORTHEWAYSINWHICHPHILIPPINECITIZENSHIPMAYBELOSTORREACQUIRED

BeitenactedbytheNationalAssemblyofthePhilippines:

Section1.Howcitizenshipmaybelost.AFilipinocitizenmaylosehiscitizenshipinanyofthefollowingways
and/orevents:

(1)Bynaturalizationinaforeigncountry

(2)Byexpressrenunciationofcitizenship

(3) By subscribing to an oath of allegiance to support the constitution or laws of a foreign country upon
attaining twentyone years of age or more: Provided, however, That a Filipino may not divest himself of
PhilippinecitizenshipinanymannerwhiletheRepublicofthePhilippinesisatwarwithanycountry

(4)Byrenderingservicesto,oracceptingcommissionin,thearmedforcesofaforeigncountry:Provided,
Thattherenderingofserviceto,ortheacceptanceofsuchcommissionin,thearmedforcesofaforeign
country, and the taking of an oath of allegiance incident thereto, with the consent of the Republic of the
Philippines,shallnotdivestaFilipinoofhisPhilippinecitizenshipifeitherofthefollowingcircumstancesis
present:

(a) The Republic of the Philippines has a defensive and/or offensive pact of alliance with the said
foreigncountryor

(b) The said foreign country maintains armed forces on Philippine territory with the consent of the
Republic of the Philippines: Provided, That the Filipino citizen concerned, at the time of rendering
said service, or acceptance of said commission, and taking the oath of allegiance incident thereto,
states that he does so only in connection with his service to said foreign country: And provided,
finally,ThatanyFilipinocitizenwhoisrenderingserviceto,oriscommissionedin,thearmedforces
ofaforeigncountryunderanyofthecircumstancesmentionedinparagraph(a)or(b),shallnotbe
permittedtoparticipatenorvoteinanyelectionoftheRepublicofthePhilippinesduringtheperiodof
hisserviceto,orcommissionin,thearmedforcesofsaidforeigncountry.Uponhisdischargefrom
theserviceofthesaidforeigncountry,heshallbeautomaticallyentitledtothefullenjoymentofhis
civilandpoliticalrightsasaFilipinocitizen

(5)Bycancellationoftheofthecertificatesofnaturalization

(6)Byhavingbeendeclaredbycompetentauthority,adeserterofthePhilippinearmedforcesin time of
war,unlesssubsequently,aplenarypardonoramnestyhasbeengrantedand

(7) In the case of a woman, upon her marriage to a foreigner if, by virtue of the laws in force in her
husband'scountry,sheacquireshisnationality.1

Theprovisionsofthissectionnotwithstanding,theacquisitionofcitizenshipbyanaturalbornFilipinocitizenfrom
oneoftheIberianandanyfriendlydemocraticIberoAmericancountriesorfromtheUnitedKingdomshallnot
produce loss or forfeiture of his Philippine citizenship if the law of that country grants the same privilege to its
citizens and such had been agreed upon by treaty between the Philippines and the foreign country from which
citizenshipisacquired.2

Section.2.Howcitizenshipmaybereacquired.Citizenshipmaybereacquired:

(1) By naturalization: Provided, That the applicant possess none of the disqualification's prescribed in
sectiontwoofActNumberedTwentyninehundredandtwentyseven,3

(2) By repatriation of deserters of the Army, Navy or Air Corp: Provided, That a woman who lost her
citizenshipbyreasonofhermarriagetoanalienmayberepatriatedinaccordancewiththeprovisionsof
thisActaftertheterminationofthemaritalstatus4and
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(3)BydirectactoftheNationalAssembly.

Section 3. Procedure incident to reacquisition of Philippine citizenship. The procedure prescribed for
naturalization under Act Numbered Twentynine hundred and twentyseven,5 as amended, shall apply to the
reacquisitionofPhilippinecitizenshipbynaturalizationprovidedforinthenextprecedingsection:Provided,That
thequalificationsandspecialqualificationsprescribedinsectionthreeandfourofsaidActshallnotberequired:
Andprovided,further,

(1)ThattheapplicantbeatleasttwentyoneyearsofageandshallhaveresidedinthePhilippinesatleast
sixmonthsbeforeheappliesfornaturalization

(2)Thatheshallhaveconductedhimselfinaproperandirreproachablemannerduringtheentireperiodof
his residence in the Philippines, in his relations with the constituted government as well as with the
communityinwhichheislivingand

(3)Thathesubscribestoanoathdeclaringhisintentiontorenounceabsolutelyandperpetuallyallfaithand
allegiancetotheforeignauthority,stateorsovereigntyofwhichhewasacitizenorsubject.

Section 4. Repatriation shall be effected by merely taking the necessary oath of allegiance to the
Commonwealth6ofthePhilippinesandregistrationinthepropercivilregistry.

Section5.TheSecretaryofJusticeshallissuethenecessaryregulationsfortheproperenforcementofthisAct.
NaturalizationblanksandotherblanksrequiredforcarryingouttheprovisionsofthisActshallbepreparedand
furnishedbytheSolicitorGeneral,subjecttoapprovaloftheSecretaryofJustice.

Section6.ThisActshalltakeeffectuponitsapproval.

Approved,October21,1936.

*AsAmendedbyRA106,RA2639andRA3834.

1WordsinboldinthetextaboveareamendmentsintroducedbyRA106,section1,approvedJune2,
1947.
StatutoryHistoryofsection1:

OriginaltextSECTION1.Howcitizenshipmaybelost.AFilipinocitizenmaylosehis
citizenshipinanyofthefollowingwaysand/orevents:(1)Bynaturalizationinaforeigncountry
(2)Byexpressrenunciationofcitizenship
(3)Bysubscribingtoanoathofallegiancetosupporttheconstitutionorlawsofaforeigncountry
uponattainingtwentyoneyearsofageormore
(4)Byacceptingcommissioninthe[military,navalorairservice]ofaforeigncountry
(5)Bycancellationofthecertificateofnaturalization
(6)Byhavingbeendeclaredbycompetentauthority,adesertedofthePhilippine[army,navyor
aircorps]intimeofwar,unlesssubsequentlyaplenarypartdonoramnestyhasbeengrantedand
(7)Inthecaseofawoman,uponhermarriagetoaforeignerif,byvirtueofthelawinforceinher
husband'scountry,sheacquireshisnationality.(Ed.Note:WordsinbracketsweredeletedinRA106
supra.)

2WordsinboldinthetextaboveareamendmentsintroducedbyRA3834,section1,approvedJune22,
1963tothelastparagraphofsection1.SaidparagraphwasinsertedasanamendmentbyRA2639,
section1,approvedJune18,1960..
StatutoryHistoryof(lastparagraphofsection1):
TheprovisionsoftheparagraphasinsertedbyRA2639,beingsimilartotheamemdedprovisions,
supra,exceptforthewordsinbold,arenotreproducedhere.

3NowCa473.

4SeePD725promulgatedJune5,1975providingforrepatriationoffilipinowomenwhohadlosttheir
Philippinecitizenshipbymarriagetoaliens.

5NowCA473.

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6NowRepublic.

TheLawphilProjectArellanoLawFoundation

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