WHEREAS, the Congress of the Philippines passed Republic Act No. 8171 entitled œAn Act Providing For The Repatriation Of Filipino Women Who Have Lost Their Philippine Citizenship By Marriage To Aliens And Of Natural-Born Filipinos ;

WHEREAS, under Section 1 of R. A. No. 8171, 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, may reacquire Philippine citizenship through repatriation provided that the applicant does not belong to any of the disqualified class of persons as enumerated therein;

WHEREAS, R. A. No. 8171 did not designate which agency, body or committee shall determine who are qualified to avail of the benefits of repatriation and who are disqualified therefrom;

WHEREAS, the Special Committee on Naturalization, created under Letter of Instruction No. 270 dated April 11, 1975, as amended by Letter of Instruction No. 491 dated December 29, 1976, was designated by Presidential Decree No. 725 dated June 5, 1975 to receive and act on application for repatriation under said decree.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby designate the Special Committee on Naturalization as the implementing agency of R. A. No. 8171.

SECTION 1. Composition. - The composition of the Special Committee on Naturalization, with the Solicitor General as Chairman, the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, as members, shall remain as constituted.

SEC. 2. Procedure. - Any person desirous of repatriating or reacquiring Filipino citizenship pursuant to R. A. No. 8171 shall file a petition with the Special Committee on Naturalization which shall process the same. If their applications are approved they shall take the necessary oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines, after which they shall be deemed to have reacquired Philippine citizenship. The Commission on Immigration and Deportation shall thereupon cancel their certificate of registration.

SEC. 3. Implementing Rules. - The Special Committee is hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations and prescribe the appropriate forms and the required fees for the processing of petitions.

SEC. 4. Effectivity. - This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 22nd day of August, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Six.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:
(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary