COMMONWEALTH ACT NO.

473
(Revised Naturalization Law)
 
 
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ACQUISITION OF PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP BY
NATURALIZATION, AND TO REPEAL ACTS NUMBERED TWENTY-NINE HUNDRED
AND TWENTY-SEVEN AND THIRTY-FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY-EIGHT.

Sec. 1. Title of Act. – This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Revised
Naturalization Law."

Sec. 2. Qualifications. – Subject to Section four of this Act, any person having the
following qualifications may become a citizen of the Philippines by naturalization:

First. He must be not less than twenty-one years of age on the day of the hearing of
the petition;

Second. He must have resided in the Philippines for a continuous period of not less
than ten years;

Third. He must be of good moral character and believes in the principles underlying
the Philippine Constitution, and must have conducted himself in a proper and
irreproachable manner during the entire period of his residence in the Philippines
in his relation with the constituted government as well as with the community in
which he is living.

Fourth. He must own real estate in the Philippines worth not less than five
thousand pesos, Philippine currency, or must have some known lucrative trade,
profession, or lawful occupation;

Fifth. He must be able to speak and write English or Spanish and any one of the
principal Philippine languages; and cban robles virtual law library

Sixth. He must have enrolled his minor children of school age, in any of the public
schools or private schools recognized by the Office of Private Education of the
Philippines, where the Philippine history, government and civics are taught or
prescribed as part of the school curriculum, during the entire period of the
residence in the Philippines required of him prior to the hearing of his petition for
naturalization as Philippine citizen.cban robles virtual law library

Sec. 3. Special qualifications. The ten years of continuous residence required under
the second condition of the last preceding Sec. shall be understood as reduced to
five years for any petitioner having any of the following qualifications:

   1.  Having honorably held office under the Government of the Philippines or
under that of any of the provinces, cities, municipalities, or political subdivisions
thereof;

   2. Having established a new industry or introduced a useful invention in the

Philippines;

   3. Being married to a Filipino woman;

   4. Having been engaged as a teacher in the Philippines in a public or recognized

private school not established for the exclusive instruction of children of persons of
a particular nationality or race, in any of the branches of education or industry for
a period of not less than two years;

   5.   Having been born in the Philippines.

Sec. 4. Who are disqualified. - The following cannot be naturalized as Philippine

citizens:

   1.  Persons opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association or

group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing all organized
governments;

   2. Persons defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of violence, personal

assault, or assassination for the success and predominance of their ideas;

   3. Polygamists or believers in the practice of polygamy;

   4.  Persons convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude;

   5. Persons suffering from mental alienation or incurable contagious diseases;

   6.  Persons who, during the period of their residence in the Philippines, have not
mingled socially with the Filipinos, or who have not evinced a sincere desire to learn
and embrace the customs, traditions, and ideals of the Filipinos;

   7.  Citizens or subjects of nations with whom the United States and the
Philippines are at war, during the period of such war;

   8.  Citizens or subjects of a foreign country other than the United States whose
laws do not grant Filipinos the right to become naturalized citizens or subjects
thereof.

Sec. 5. Declaration of intention. – One year prior to the filing of his petition for
admission to Philippine citizenship, the applicant for Philippine citizenship shall file
with the Bureau of Justice, a declaration under oath that it is bona fide his
intention to become a citizen of the Philippines. Such declaration shall set forth
name, age, occupation, personal description, place of birth, last foreign residence
and allegiance, the date of arrival, the name of the vessel or aircraft, if any, in
which he came to the Philippines, and the place of residence in the Philippines at
the time of making the declaration. No declaration shall be valid until lawful entry
for permanent residence has been established and a certificate showing the date,
place, and manner of his arrival has been issued. The declarant must also state
that he has enrolled his minor children, if any, in any of the public schools or
private schools recognized by the Office of Private Education of the Philippines,
where Philippine history, government, and civics are taught or prescribed as part of
the school curriculum, during the entire period of the residence in the Philippines
required of him prior to the hearing of his petition for naturalization as Philippine
citizen. Each declarant must furnish two photographs of himself.cban robles virtual
law library

Sec. 6. Persons exempt from requirement to make a declaration of intention. –

Persons born in the Philippines and have received their primary and secondary
education in public schools or those recognized by the Government and not limited
to any race or nationality, and those who have resided continuously in the
Philippines for a period of thirty years or more before filing their application, may be
naturalized without having to make a declaration of intention upon complying with
the other requirements of this Act. To such requirements shall be added that which
establishes that the applicant has given primary and secondary education to all his
children in the public schools or in private schools recognized by the Government
and not limited to any race or nationality. The same shall be understood to be
applicable with respect to the widow and minor children of an alien who has
declared his intention to become a citizen of the Philippines, and dies before he is
actually naturalized.

Sec. 7. Petition for citizenship. – Any person desiring to acquire Philippine

citizenship shall file with the competent court, a petition in triplicate, accompanied
by two photographs of the petitioner, setting forth his name and surname; his
present and former places of residence; his occupation; the place and date of his
birth; whether single or married and the father of children, the name, age,
birthplace and residence of the wife and of each of the children; the approximate
date of his or her arrival in the Philippines, the name of the port of debarkation,
and, if he remembers it, the name of the ship on which he came; a declaration that
he has the qualifications required by this Act, specifying the same, and that he is
not disqualified for naturalization under the provisions of this Act; that he has
complied with the requirements of Sec. five of this Act; and that he will reside
continuously in the Philippines from the date of the filing of the petition up to the
time of his admission to Philippine citizenship. The petition must be signed by the
applicant in his own handwriting and be supported by the affidavit of at least two
credible persons, stating that they are citizens of the Philippines and personally
know the petitioner to be a resident of the Philippines for the period of time required
by this Act and a person of good repute and morally irreproachable, and that said
petitioner has in their opinion all the qualifications necessary to become a citizen of
the Philippines and is not in any way disqualified under the provisions of this Act.
The petition shall also set forth the names and post-office addresses of such
witnesses as the petitioner may desire to introduce at the hearing of the case. The
certificate of arrival, and the declaration of intention must be made part of the
petition.

Sec. 8. Competent court.—The Court of First Instance of the province in which the
petitioner has resided at least one year immediately preceding the filing of the
petition shall have exclusive original jurisdiction to hear the petition.cban robles
virtual law library

Sec. 9. Notification and appearance.—Immediately upon the filing of a petition, it

shall be the duty of the clerk of the court to publish the same at petitioner's
expense, once a week for three consecutive weeks, in the Official Gazette, and in
one of the newspapers of general circulation in the province where the petitioner
resides, and to have copies of said petition and a general notice of the hearing
posted in a public and conspicuous place in his office or in the building where said
office is located, setting forth in such notice the name, birthplace and residence of
the petitioner, the date and place of his arrival in the Philippines, the names of the
witnesses whom the petitioner proposes to introduce in support of his petition, and
the date of the hearing of the petition, which hearing shall not be held within ninety
days from the date of the last publication of the notice. The clerk shall, as soon as
possible, forward copies of the petition, the sentence, the naturalization certificate,
and other pertinent data to the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Justice,
the Provincial Inspector of the Philippine Constabulary of the province and the
Justice of the Peace of the municipality wherein the petitioner resides.

Sec. 10. Hearing of the petition.—No petition shall be heard within thirty days
preceding any election. The hearing shall be public, and the Solicitor-General,
either himself or through his delegate or the provincial fiscal concerned, shall
appear on behalf of the Commonwealth of the Philippines at all the proceedings and
at the hearing. If, after the hearing, the court believes, in view of the evidence
taken, that the petitioner has all the qualifications required by, and none of the
disqualifications specified in this Act and has complied with all requisites herein
established, it shall order the proper naturalization certificate to be issued and the
registration of the said naturalization certificate in the proper civil registry as
required in Section Ten of Act Numbered Three thousand seven hundred and fifty-
three.

Sec. 11. Appeal.—The final sentence may, at the instance of either of the parties, be
appealed to the Supreme Court.

Sec. 12. Issuance of the Certificate of Naturalization.—If, after the lapse of thirty
days from and after the date on which the parties were notified of the Court, no
appeal has been filed, or if, upon appeal, the decision of the court has been
confirmed by the Supreme Court, and the said decision has become final, the clerk
of the court which heard the petition shall issue to the petitioner a naturalization
certificate which shall, among other things, state the following: The file number of
the petition, the number of the naturalization certificate, the signature of the
person naturalized affixed in the presence of the clerk of the court, the personal
circumstances of the person naturalized, the dates on which his declaration of
intention and petition were filed, the date of the decision granting the petition, and
the name of the judge who rendered the decision. A photograph of the petitioner
with the dry seal affixed thereto of the court which granted the petition, must be
affixed to the certificate.

Before the naturalization certificate is issued, the petitioner shall, in open court,
take the following oath:

"I, ______________________________________, solemnly swear that I renounce

absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or
sovereignty, and particularly to the ____________________. of which at this time I am a
subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Philippines and that I
will obey the laws, legal orders and decrees promulgated by the duly constituted authorities
of the Commonwealth of the Philippines; [and I hereby declare that I recognize and accept
the supreme authority of the United States of America in the Philippines and will maintain
true faith and allegiance thereto; and that I impose this obligation upon myself voluntarily
without mental reservation or purpose of evasion.

"So help me God."

Sec. 13. Record books.—The clerk of the court shall keep two books; one in which
the petition and declarations of intention shall be recorded in chronological order,
noting all proceedings thereof from the filing of the petition to the final issuance of
the naturalization certificate; and another, which shall be a record of naturalization
certificates each page of which shall have a duplicate which shall be duly attested
by the clerk of the court and delivered to the petitioner.cban robles virtual law
library

Sec. 14. Fees.—The clerk of the Court of First Instance shall charge as fees for
recording a petition for naturalization and for the proceedings in connection
therewith, including the issuance of the certificate, the sum of thirty pesos.

The Clerk of the Supreme Court shall collect for each appeal and for the services
rendered by him in connection therewith, the sum of twenty-four pesos.

Sec. 15. Effect of the naturalization on wife and children.-Any woman who is now or
may hereafter be married to a citizen of the Philippines, and who might herself be
lawfully naturalized shall be deemed a citizen of the Philippines.

Minor children of persons naturalized under this law who have been born in the
Philippines shall be considered citizens thereof.

A foreign-born minor child, if dwelling in the Philippines at the time of the

naturalization of the parent, shall automatically become a Philippine citizen, and a
foreign-born minor child, who is not in the Philippines at the time the parent is
naturalized, shall be deemed a Philippine citizen only during his minority, unless he
begins to reside permanently in the Philippines when still a minor, in which case,
he will continue to be a Philippine citizen even after becoming of age.

A child born outside of the Philippines after the naturalization of his parent, shall
be considered a Philippine citizen, unless within one year after reaching the age of
majority, he fails to register himself as a Philippine citizen at the American
Consulate of the country where he resides, and to take the necessary oath of
allegiance.

Sec. 16. Right of Widow and Children of Petitioners who have Died. - In case a
petitioner should die before the final decision has been rendered, his widow and
minor children may continue the proceedings. The decision rendered in the case
shall, so far as the widow and minor children are concerned, produce the same
legal effect as if it had been rendered during the life of the petitioner.

Sec. 17. Renunciation of Title or Orders of Nobility. - In case the alien applying to
be admitted to citizenship has borne any hereditary title, or has been of any of the
orders of nobility in the Kingdom or state from which he came, he shall, in addition
to the above requisites, make an express renunciation of his title or order of nobility
in the court to which his application is made, and his renunciation shall be
recorded in the court, unless with the express consent of the National Assembly.

Sec. 18. Cancellation of Naturalization Certificate Issued. - Upon motion made in

the proper proceedings by the Solicitor-General or his representative, or by the
proper provincial fiscal, the competent judge may cancel the naturalization
certificate issued and its registration in the Civil Register:

   1. If it is shown that said naturalization certificate was obtained fraudulently or

illegally.

   2. If the person naturalized shall, within the five years next following the issuance
of said naturalization certificate, return to his native country or to some foreign
country and establish his permanent residence there: Provided, That the fact of the
person naturalized remaining for more than one year in his native country or the
country of his former nationality, or two years in any other foreign country, shall be
considered as prima facie evidence of his intention of taking up his permanent
residence in the same;

   3. If the petition was made on an invalid declaration of intention;

   4. If it is shown that the minor children of the person naturalized failed to

graduate from a public or private high schools recognized by the Office of Private
Education of the Philippines, where Philippine history, government and civics are
taught as part of the school curriculum, through the fault of their parents either by
neglecting to support them or by transferring hem to another school or schools. A
certified copy of the decree cancelling the naturalization certificate shall be
forwarded by the clerk of the Court to the Department of the Interior and the
Bureau of Justice.

   5. If it is shown that the naturalized citizen has allowed himself to be used as a

dummy requiring Philippine citizenship as a requisite for the exercise, use or
enjoyment of a right, franchise or privilege.

Sec. 19. Penalties for violation of this Act.-Any person who shall fraudulently make,
falsify, forge, change, alter, or cause or aid any person to do the same, or who shall
purposely aid and assist in falsely making, forging, falsifying, changing or altering a
naturalization certificate for the purpose of making use thereof, or in order that the
same may be used by another person or persons, and any person who shall
purposely aid and assist another in obtaining a naturalization certificate in
violation of the provisions of this Act, shall be punished by a fine of not more than
five thousand pesos or by imprisonment for not more than five years, or both, and
in the case that the person convicted is a naturalized citizen his certificate of
naturalization and the registration of the same in the proper civil registry shall be
ordered cancelled.

Sec. 20. Prescription. - No person shall be prosecuted, charged, or punished for an

offense implying a violation of the provisions of this Act, unless the information or
complaint is filed within five years from the detection or discovery of the
commission of said offense.
Sec. 21. Regulation and blanks. - The Secretary of Justice shall issue the necessary
regulations for the proper enforcement of this Act. Naturalization certificate blanks
and other blanks required for carrying out the provisions of this Act shall be
prepared and furnished by the Solicitor-General, subject to the approval of the
Secretary of Justice.

Sec. 22. Repealing clause. - Act Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and twenty-seven
as amended by Act Numbered Thirty-four hundred and forty-eight, entitled "The
Naturalization Law", is repealed: Provided, That nothing in this Act shall be
construed to affect any prosecution, suit, action, or proceedings brought, or any
act, thing, or matter, civil or criminal, done or existing before the taking effect of
this Act, but as to all such prosecutions, suits, actions, proceedings, acts, things, or
matters, the laws, or parts of laws repealed or amended by this Act are continued in
force and effect.

Sec. 23. Date when this Act shall take effect.-This Act shall take effect on its
approval.

Approved: June 17, 1939.