“There are about 4.6 million Filipino Americans, many potentially dual citizens”
FOLLOWING the move of the US Congress to ban dual citizenship which will affect Filipinos with dual citizenship, being entitled as Filipinos exercising their birthright to have Philippine passports and also having US passports, I asked most of my relatives and friends with dual citizenships.
i have come to the conclusion there is actually no choice.
With an American passport, you can travel to 160 countries without visas because of the arrangement between the United States government and other countries about free travel.
While in the Philippines, having a Philippine passport limits Filipinos to travel to certain countries requiring them to have visas.
Even traveling to some Asian countries, Filipinos with American passports are entitled to visa-free travel.
I have asked many Filipinos who are dual citizens and all of them tell me they prefer to have American passports because American passports entitles them to visa-free trips to the countries where the Philippine government has no arrangement .
If the US government will make Filipinos having dual citizenship choose only one citizenship,which would they prefer to have?
Many of them will retain their American citizenship and give up their Philippine passports.
Although American citizens do not get automatic “health benefits,” they can gain access to various government-sponsored health programs like Medicare (seniors), Medicaid (low-income), VA Health Care (veterans), and can buy subsidized insurance via the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, protecting them from huge medical costs through premiums and federal support for essential services.
I am not saying we should adopt a system like the US government to provide holders of Filipino citizenship with the same benefits as Medicare and Medicaid.
What I am saying is in the wake of that move of the US Congress to ban dual citizenship, many of the Filipinos here and abroad would rather retain their American citizenship and give up their Philippine citizenship.
According to estimates there are about 4.6 million Filipino Americans, many potentially dual citizens.
If they are given the choice between holding an American or Philippine passport, I am sure they would rather have American passports.
I have been told the Philippine embassy and Philippine consulates across the US estimate those who are now holding dual citizenship would prefer to remain American citizens rather than Filipino.
This does not mean that those Filipinos love their country less; it is a matter of convenience.
There is actually no choice for Filipinos holding American passports and Philippine passports because of the distinct advantages of being an American citizen.
I know many of those, my gulay, who are close to me are American citizens enjoying the benefits of Medicare and other health benefits, an advantage they cannot enjoy if they give up their American citizenship.
If it comes to a choice, Santa Banana, those holding dual citizenship will remain as American citizens rather than remain as Filipinos.
This does not reflect they are not loyal to the Philippines. For practical reasons they will choose their American citizenship over their Philippine citizenship.
Those with dual citizenship should have nothing to worry about because I am sure most of them anyway, if not all, are using their American passports with the distinct advantages.
