WITh 244 affirmative votes, five against, and zero abstentions, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading a measure allowing qualified dual citizens to be appointed as faculty members, researchers and administrators in state universities and colleges (SUCs).
Acting on the guidance of Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy G. III, House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A.
Marcos of Ilocos Norte said the measure
will help public higher education institutions tap a wider pool of talent, including Filipino experts who have built careers abroad.
Marcos, one of the principal authors, said the House continues to deliver on a busy legislative calendar, with education and human capital measures moving steadily through the plenary.
“The House has been productive in passing several pieces of legislation that respond to real needs, and we intend to keep that pace,” Marcos said.
Other principal authors of House Bill (HB) No. 5019 include Reps. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Andrew Julian K. Romualdez, Jude Acidre, Roman Romulo, Antolin A. Oreta III, Johanne Monich Bautista, Antonio Tinio, Patricia Calderon, Elijah Rumbaoa San Fernando, Wilfredo Dimaguila, Kenneth Gatchalian, Jaime Fresnedi, Jennifer Lagbas, Ma. Cristina Lopez, Christopherson Yap, De Carlo Uy, Felimon Espares, Edwin Cruzado, Florabel Yatco, King Collantes, Joseph Lara, Katrina Reiko Chua-Tai, Carl Nicolas Cari, Rebecca Maria Alcantara Ynares, Mario Salvador, Wilton Kho, and Anna York Bondoc.
It seeks to amend provisions of the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 to carve out an exemption for dual citizens appointed to academic, research and administrative posts in SUCs, local universities and colleges, and other public higher education institutions.
Under the bill, dual citizens appointed to these posts will no longer be required to renounce the oath of allegiance they previously took to another country as a condition for their assumption of office, a change backers described as a practical adjustment that recognizes the difference between elective or policy posts and technical roles needed to strengthen teaching, research and campus administration.
The bill said the measure is rooted in a straightforward goal: let public universities compete for excellence and keep Filipino expertise connected to the country’s classrooms and laboratories.
Opening SUCs to qualified dual citizens as faculty, researchers and administrators, the bill explained it expands its capacity to teach, innovate and mentor the next generation.
Supporters of the bill said the policy reflects the reality of a global labor market where many Filipinos build specialized credentials overseas, and that public higher education should be able to recruit those professionals for instruction, research collaborations, and management roles that strengthen institutional performance.
They added that the change is also expected to support research output and graduate-level mentoring in priority fields, where experience, publication record, and international networks often shape the quality of instruction and the competitiveness of Philippine institutions.
