Right to vote, entitled to live permanent, able to work, and has access to government-offered public benefits—these are just the few things that you can enjoy if you are a citizen in a certain country. You have the prerogatives to certain rights and privileges offered by the government. In this, citizenship is the matter in order to enjoy them all, but what is citizenship? How can you acquire citizenship if you are an alien? Why Grace Poe’s citizenship is very controversial in the last Presidential Election? Is it a big deal to argue with? These are the questions that I will try to talk about with you.

by: juandelacruz@twitter.com

Wordweb Dictionary denotes citizenship as “membership of a citizen in a political society, which membership implies, reciprocally, a duty of allegiance on the part of the members and duty of protection on the part of the state”. Going to Municipal Civil Registrar to be registered is not just simply as that to become a good citizen. It is a yoke that you need to carry with, because a good citizen is a person with duty for the advancement of our country.

The Philippine citizenship is based upon the principles of jus sanguinis and therefore descent from a parent who is a citizen or national of the Republic of the Philippines is the primary method of acquiring Philippine citizenship. This is contrasted with the legal principle of jus soli where being born on the soil of a country, even to foreign parents, grants one citizenship.

According to Article IV Section1 of 1987 Philippine Constitution the following are citizens of the Philippines:

(1) Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the         adoption of this Constitution. The citizens referred to be those considered Filipino citizens at the time of the effectivity of the present Constitution on February 2, 1987.

(2) Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines. The Philippines follows the principle of jus sanguinis. In determining the citizenship of the child, Filipino mothers are placed on equal footing with their husbands.

(3) Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority. Under the 1935 Constitution, a child born of a Filipino mother, who was married to a foreigner, is born an alien and remains an alien during his minority until he elects Philippine citizenship.

(4) Those who are naturalized in accordance with law. Those who are not Filipino citizens at birth may become citizens by Naturalization which is a voluntary method of acquiring citizenship by renouncing his former citizenship and embracing a new one.

          According to the Department of Tourism about 6.2 million tourists visited Philippines in the first quarter of the year, and 18% of these tourists wanted to live permanently here in the Philippines for the following reasons: from the friends they have made, to the stunning beaches, to the great business opportunities living in one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and the hospitality shown by the citizens living here.

Is there a law or a section in the Philippine Constitution that they can utilize in order to grant their wish—which to become one of the Filipino citizens? They are lucky, for our Constitution; foreigners have chances to concede their desires under Revised Naturalization Law. What you need to do is just to comply the requirements according to the Section 2 of the Revised Naturalization Act of the Philippines to acquire citizenship by naturalization.

Last Presidential election, it is well known what the line of attacks is: that Senator Poe is not a natural born citizen, a requirement for one to become President, because she is a foundling. Because of her citizenship she almost forfeited her candidacy in the Presidency.

Under our 1987 Constitution, “no person may be elected President unless he [or she] is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines…” In her background, she was born in the year 1968. She was registered in the local registrar office in Iloilo, and was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Fernando Poe Jr. Because we do not know who her father or mother is, her detractors now claim that Senator Poe cannot be presumed to be a citizen of the Philippines. There is actually no distinction made in this regard between a natural-born and one that is not natural-born citizen, because no such distinction can be made.

In my humble opinion, I consider the questions regarding the citizenship of the senator as an attack against all foundlings, adopted children, and families. This is repulsive to me because instead of comforting those, these distractors criticized them. Is it a personal fault that a person is a founding or an adopted child? I think it’s not.       With the descriptions above, she was a natural-born citizen to me, and they just used this condition of her to grab her down from the candidacy. On the other hand, I see the danger; the criticisms about her residence bring to all overseas Filipinos, migrant workers and dual citizens alike. Instead of giving them honor, we criticized them. Overseas workers are essential to us for they contribute much to our economic growth.

Gratefully, she wasn’t disqualified to continue her political campaign for the charges thrown to her were considered as "baseless" petition.

"I laud the Court in affirming my status, and in effect all other foundlings in the country, as natural-born Filipinos, with full rights to serve the nation. I sincerely hope that this will put the issue to rest, and that all foundlings be given due recognition each of us deserves," Grace Poe said.

Here, it was proven that citizenship really matters, especially if you are enthusiastically wanted to serve your country. Citizenship is not only for document transactions, as what I’ve said it is a yoke that you need to carry with. Citizenship implies, reciprocally, a duty of allegiance on the part of the members and duty of protection on the part of the state. It is your right and obligation to do so, because we are in the democratic nation and there can be no daily democracy without daily citizenship.