Question & AnswerQ&A (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 836)
The primary purpose of Presidential Decree No. 836 is to grant Philippine citizenship to deserving aliens residing in the country through a less expensive and more expeditious procedure by presidential decree.
The President of the Philippines has the authority to grant Philippine citizenship under PD No. 836 by virtue of the powers vested by the Constitution.
An alien must have their application received and processed by a Special Committee on Naturalization, take an oath of allegiance as a Philippine citizen, and be issued a certificate of naturalization by the Committee for the citizenship grant to be effective.
The Commission on Immigration and Deportation shall cancel the alien's certificate of registration as an alien and issue corresponding identification certificates as a Philippine citizen.
If the naturalized alien dies before taking the oath, the widow residing in the Philippines and without disqualifications may take the oath of allegiance. Thereafter, the minor children follow the acquired Filipino citizenship of their mother, subject to certain provisos.
The alien wife and minor children must reside permanently in the Philippines at the time of the naturalization of the husband. If not residing at the time, they must reside in the Philippines in good faith within one year from the naturalization and children of school age must enroll in Philippine schools.
No, minor children of a naturalized woman continue to follow the citizenship of their alien father during minority but may elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching majority pursuant to existing law.
They must expressly renounce their hereditary title or membership in the order of nobility before the Special Committee or its authorized representative, and this renunciation shall be included in the naturalization records.