Administrative Naturalization Law of 2000

The applicant must be born and continuously residing in the Philippines since birth.
Minimum age of 18 years at the time of filing the petition.
Must be of good moral character and demonstrate proper conduct during residence.
Education must be primary and secondary schooling in recognized Philippine schools where local history, government, and civics are taught.
Must have a known lawful occupation providing sufficient income to support self and family (exceptions for college degree holders unable to practice due to citizenship).
Ability to read, write, and speak Filipino or any Philippine dialect.
Must have socially mingled with Filipinos and sincerely embraced Filipino customs and ideals.

Opposition to organized government or association with groups teaching anti-government doctrines.
Advocacy or teaching of violence, assassination, or personal assault for ideological success.
Polygamy practices.
Conviction for crimes involving moral turpitude.
Mental alienation or incurable contagious diseases.
Failure to mingle socially with Filipinos or to embrace Filipino customs during residence.
Nationals of countries at war with the Philippines during the period of war.
Nationals of states denying Filipinos the right to naturalize similarly.

Petition filed with the Special Committee on Naturalization in five signed, verified copies with photographs.
Must include comprehensive personal data, family details, marital status, declarations of qualifications, residence, and intent to renounce prior citizenship.
Accompanying documents include birth certificate, alien registration certificates, marriage certificates (if applicable), school records, affidavits on moral character, medical certificate, and income tax returns if employed.

Composed of the Solicitor General as chairman, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and National Security Adviser or their representatives.
Authorized to approve or deny naturalization applications.
Members receive honoraria per meeting.

A non-refundable processing fee of Forty thousand pesos (P40,000) is required.
Committee assesses petition completeness within fifteen days.
If complete, petition details will be published weekly for three consecutive weeks and publicly posted.
Relevant government agencies (DFA, BI, civil registrar, NBI) review and report on the applicant's record within thirty days.
Incomplete petitions are dismissed without prejudice.

Committee reviews all information within sixty days from the last publication or receipt of agency reports.
May call the petitioner for interviews for verification.
Petitioner allowed to respond to adverse information before final decision.
Approval issued if qualifications are met and no disqualifications found; otherwise, the petition is disapproved.

Total fees amount to One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000), payable in two installments tied to petition approval and oath taking.
Certificate of naturalization issued upon oath taking.
Oath must be scheduled within sixty days of certificate issuance; failure to take oath results in abandonment of application.

Bureau of Immigration responsible for forwarding oath copy to civil registrar and cancelling alien certificates of registration within five days after oath-taking.

Alien wife and minor children of naturalized person may apply for cancellation of their alien certificates subject to fees.
Alien husbands of naturalized married women do not benefit automatically; minor children may apply for certificate cancellation under existing laws.

Cancellation may occur for falsification, fraud, or violation of laws related to naturalization.
Permanent residence abroad within five years post-naturalization triggers certificate cancellation.
Use as a dummy to evade legal requirements leads to cancellation.
Acts inimical to national security warrant cancellation.
Naturalized persons holding hereditary titles must renounce such titles before the Committee.

Fraudulent making, alteration, or use of naturalization certificates punishable by fines up to Five hundred thousand pesos and imprisonment up to five years.
Naturalized citizens convicted under this may have their certificates cancelled.

Persons who failed to register their birth may file for citizenship acquisition within two years from the Act’s effectivity, subject to qualifications and existing laws.

Twenty-five percent of filing fees allocated to the University of the Philippines Law Center.
Another twenty-five percent allocated for publication costs of the Journal of the House of Representatives.
Allocations treated as automatically appropriated receipts.

The Special Committee on Naturalization empowered to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the law properly.

The act takes effect fifteen days after publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation.