The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney is conducting forums with Filipino communities across New South Wales to promote the Dual Citizenship program, which allows Filipino-Australians to regain their Philippine citizenship without affecting their Australian citizenship.
Consul General Eva G. Betita and officers of the Philippine Consulate have held talks with former Filipinos in Campbelltown, a number of venues in Blacktown, Saint Mary, Lismore, Wagga Wagga, Bathurst, and Dubbo to provide information on the Dual Citizenship program of the Philippines.
“Many former Filipinos desire to regain their Philippine citizenship, but only need the opportunity to go about it. The Consulate wants to help make dual citizenship accessible to former Filipinos, who are spread across the state, by undertaking mobile consular missions to cities and towns where there is a concentration of Filipino-Australians,” said Consul General Betita.
The Philippines enacted the “Dual Citizenship Law” in September 2003 to establish a procedure for former Filipinos who have become naturalised citizens of other countries to re-acquire Philippine citizenship without affecting their current citizenship status.
By the end of June 2009, about 2,500 Philippine-born Australians have re-acquired their Philippine citizenship through the Consulate since the Dual Citizenship Law took effect. The Consulate notes that its number of dual citizenship applicants has been increasing since the year started.
The Consulate is also rallying Philippine dual citizens, as well as Filipinos working in New South Wales, to register as overseas absentee voters (OAV) for the Philippine Presidential elections in May 2010. “The registration of OAVs ends on 31 August 2010, and we are trying to reach out to as many Filipinos as possible who want to exercise their right to choose their next leader. For this reason, the Consulate conducts Filipino OAV registration wherever we confer dual citizenship,” the Consul General said.
Any Filipino-Australian association or group of Filipino-Australians can request the Consulate to hold a dual citizenship and OAV forum in their area. Interested parties may query with the Philippine Consulate through its email contact@philippineconsulate.com.au or telephone 02 9262 7377.