The Philippine nationality law is based upon the principles of jus sanguinis

(Latin for right of blood) and therefore descent from a parent who is a citizen or
national of the Republic of the Philippines is the primary method of acquiring
Philippine citizenship. This is contrasted with the legal principle of jus soli where
being born on the soil of a country, even to foreign parents, grants one citizenship.
For those born in the Philippines to non-Filipino parents, the Administrative
Naturalization Law of 2000 (R.A. 9139) provides a path for administrative
naturalization for those who qualify

Citizenship by birth
As of 2010, with no significant changes expected, Philippine nationality law provides
that a person becomes a Philippine citizen by birth if
that person was born on or after October 15, 1986 and at least one parent was a
Philippine citizen on the birthdate;
that person was born on or after January 17, 1973 and both parents were Philippine
citizens on the birthdate or the person elected Philippine citizenship pursuant to the
provisions of the 1935 Constitution;
or the person was born on or after May 14, 1935 and the father was a Philippine
citizen or, if the father was not, the mother was a Philippine citizen and the person
elected Philippine citizenship pursuant to the provisions of the 1935 Constitution;
or that person was born on or after August 29, 1916 and prior to May 14, 1935 and
at least one parent was an inhabitant and resident of the Philippine Islands and a
Spanish subject on April 11, 1899, or that person was an inhabitant and resident of
the Philippine Islands and a Spanish subject on April 11, 1899, except in certain
specific cases.
Commonwealth Act No. 625 is an Act that provides for the manner by which a
person whose mother is a Filipino citizen may opt to elect Filipino citizenship. It also
imposes a penalty on anyone found guilty of fraud in making the statements
required by its provisions. This Act provides for the implementation of the jus
sanguinis rule on citizenship, thus recognizing that a child who has at least one
Filipino parent, regardless of whether it is his mother or his father, may elect to be a
Filipino citizen. It specifically disregards the rule followed by other countries that a
child automatically follows his father's citizenship. In this, it is favorable to Filipino
women married to foreigners who may nevertheless want their child to acquire
Filipino citizenship.

Citizenship by naturalization
Commonwealth Act No. 473, approved June 17, 1939, provided that persons
having certain specified qualifications may become a citizen of the Philippines by
naturalization.

Republic Act No. 9139, approved June 8, 2001, provided that aliens under the
age of 18 who were born in the Philippines, who have resided in the Philippines and
have resided therein since birth, and who possess other specified qualifications may
be granted Philippines citizenship by administrative proceeding subject to certain
requirements.
Under Section 2 of the Revised Naturalization Law the applicant must possess the
following qualifications:
He/she must not be less than twenty-one (21) years of age on the day of the
hearing of the petition;
He/she must have resided in the Philippines for a continuous period of not less than
ten (10) years;
He/she 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;
He/she must own real estate in the Philippines worth not less than five thousand
(5000) pesos, Philippine currency, or must have some known lucrative trade,
profession, or lawful occupation;
He/she must be able to speak or write English or Spanish or any one of the principal
languages;
He/she must have enrolled his minor children of school age in any of the public or
private schools recognized by the Bureau of Public Schools 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 the petition for naturalization as Philippine
citizen.

Loss and reacquisition of Philippine citizenship

Commonwealth Act No. 63, dated 20 October 1936, provides that Philippine
citizens may lose citizenship in any of the following ways or events:
By naturalization in a foreign country;
By express renunciation of citizenship;
By subscribing to an oath of allegiance to support the constitution or laws of a
foreign country upon attaining twenty-one years of age or more: Provided, however,
That a Filipino may not divest himself of Philippine citizenship in any manner while
the Republic of the Philippines is at war with any country.
By rendering services to, or accepting commission in, the armed forces of a foreign
country, and the taking of an oath of allegiance incident thereto, except in certain
specified cases;
By cancellation of the certificates of naturalization;
By having been declared by competent authority, a deserter of the Philippine armed
forces in time of war, unless subsequently, a plenary pardon or amnesty has been
granted; and
In the case of a woman, upon her marriage to a foreigner if, by virtue of the laws in
force in her husband's country, she acquires his nationality.

Republic Act No. 8171, approved 23 October 1995, provided a mechanism

allowing Filipino women who have lost their Philippine citizenship by marriage to
aliens and natural-born Filipinos who have lost their Philippine citizenship, including
their minor children, on account of political or economic necessity, to reacquire
Philippine citizenship.

Republic Act No. 9225, approved 29 August 2003, provided that natural-born
citizens of the Philippines who had lost their Philippine citizenship by reason of their
naturalization as citizens of a foreign country would be deemed to have re-acquired
Philippine citizenship upon taking an oath of allegiance to the Republic, and that
their children whether legitimate, illegitimate or adopted, below eighteen (18) years
of age, shall be deemed citizens of the Philippines

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 530

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 530 - AN ACT MAKING ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS FOR
NATURALIZATION
Section 1. The provisions of existing laws notwithstanding, no petition for
Philippine citizenship shall be heard by the courts until after six months from the
publication of the application required by law, nor shall any decision granting the
application become executory until after two years from its promulgation and after
the court, on proper hearing, with the attendance of the Solicitor General or his
representative, is satisfied, and so finds, that during the intervening time the
applicant has (1) not left the Philippines, (2) has dedicated himself continuously to a
lawful calling or profession, (3) has not been convicted of any offense or violation of
Government promulgated rules, (4) or committed any act prejudicial to the interest
of the nation or contrary to any Government announced policies.

Sec. 2. After the finding mentioned in section one, the order of the court granting
citizenship shall be registered and the oath provided by existing laws shall be taken
by the applicant, whereupon, and not before, he will be entitled to all the privileges
of a Filipino citizen.

Sec. 3. Such parts of Act Numbered Four hundred seventy-three as are

inconsistent with the provisions of the present Act are hereby repealed.