Filipinos here have hailed the passage into law of the dual citizenship bill, describing it as a recipe for a "brain gain."
The Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003 became law on August 31, six months after its 'twin', the Absentee Voting Law, was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The Philippines has become a net exporter of manpower, with nearly 10 per cent of its citizens working and living overseas.
"Our government spends the biggest part of the annual budget on education but many of our top graduates go overseas, as skilled professionals. In effect, we're subsidising the education of workers bound for other countries, especially the First World," said Ricardo Guiducos, an engineer.
"If these people have an incentive to come back home, then it will be a win-win situation."
Vic Cabe, the Philippine labour attach in Dubai, said the new law will lift restrictions on the flow of possible investments from Filipinos who have acquired citizenship in another country.
"Giving them the option of regaining their Filipino citizenship would encourage them to come home with new ideas and investments," said Cabe, a barrister.
"Single nationality is the product of a bygone era of rabid nationalism and xenophobia," said Ferdinand Roxas, the Dubai-based supervising Welfare Officer of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
According to him, the long-awaited passage of the law is also a boost to thousands of Filipinos who married nationals from Middle East countries, as well as their offspring.
Under the 1986 Constitution, if either of the parents has Filipino citizenship at the time of birth, then the child is also considered a Filipino. However, he or she must choose a single nationality upon reaching 18. But in reality, offspring of mixed marriages normally possess dual citizenships.
"Filipinos married to other nationalities as well as their offspring, they can still enjoy the best of both worlds without feeling guilty about it," said Darex, a Dubai public relations practitioner from Pampanga.
"It will give the child a chance to be immersed in two cultures, which is good." But the new law will largely benefit the millions who have become naturalised citizens in the United States and Canada.
"If goods, services and information are all becoming part of a globalised era, it also holds true for people," said Roxas.
Until recently, the Philippines, an archipelago of 7,107 islands, never allowed dual citizenship under the four Constitutions crafted since the declaration of independence from Spain at the turn of the 20th century. But many Filipinos, including the descendents of a Spanish elite and most of the Senators today, are known to hold dual passports.
"Many Filipinos consider themselves as citizens of the world. More than 10 per cent of Filipinos are living and working overseas, either as contract workers or as legal residents," said Jiji Zablan, CEO of Zablan Information Systems.
"We are better appreciated overseas. I'm sure those who succeeded abroad still want to remain as Filipinos. You can't deny it, home is still where the heart is. Many Filipinos who are citizens of other countries still feel and act Filipino," said Amroussi Rasul, son of former Senator Santanina Rasul, from a province of Mindanao.
Rasul has several siblings who have worked and lived in the U.S. for a long time, including two doctors, a New York barrister and a policy think-tank member.
"It's not only convenient but also a logical step. I think this new law solves a lot of problems faced by overseas Filipinos who stayed abroad indefinitely," said Maribel Diaz. "A Third World country should also welcome back the talent dispersed by instability and lack of opportunity at home.
"Filipino citizens who hold dual citizenship will also be in a better position to voice the sad truths about what's wrong with our own country, they can escape persecution," said Pedro Dimaguina, an architect.
"The Filipino mindset is that of a seafarer, hopping from one island to another in search of better prospects," said J. Florendo, a Bicolano working for a Jebel Ali Free Zone company. "It's normal for us to seek greener pastures in other places. But that doesn't mean we're burning all our bridges."
How one can become a citizen of two countriesIt is possible for someone to be considered a citizen under the laws of two (or more) countries at the same time. Acquiring citizenship in a given country can take different forms.
* You were born on territory belonging to, or claimed by, that country (often called ius soli, or jus soli - Latin for "right of the soil").
* One or both of your parents were citizens of that country (often called ius sanguinis or jus sanguinis - Latin for "right of the blood").
* You married a citizen of that country (though the practice of granting immediate, automatic citizenship to a foreign spouse is far less prevalent today than it was decades ago).
* You (or one or both of your parents) obtained that country's citizenship by going through a legal process of naturalisation.
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