Citizenship in the Philippines is defined in the 1987 Constitution. Citizens include those who were citizens when the Constitution was adopted, those with Filipino parents, those born to Filipino mothers before 1973, and those who are naturalized. Citizenship can be lost or acquired through legal means. Citizens have both rights and duties, including the right to vote and the duty to pay taxes. Duties involve actively participating in civic and political processes, volunteering, and upholding the national motto of being God-fearing, humane, environmentally-conscious and patriotic.

1. 1. What is citizenship?
2. Who are the citizens?
Citizenship: The Filipino Civic and Political
Involvement

2. I. I am a Filipino Citizen
A Citizen is someone who enjoys political privilege to participate in the
political processes of a state and the protection of the state. The
following are the provisions of Article IV of the 1987 Constitution on
citizenship:
Section 1. The following are citizens of the Philippines:
1. Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption
of this Constitution;
2. Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines;
3. Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect
Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and
4. Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.

3. I. I am a Filipino Citizen
Section 2. Natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the
Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire
or perfect their Philippine citizenship. Those who elect Philippine
citizenship in accordance with paragraph 3 Section 1 hereof shall be
deemed natural-born citizens.
Section 3. Philippine citizenship may be lost or reacquired in the
manner provided by law.
Section 4. Citizens of the Philippines who marry aliens shall retain
their citizenship, unless by their act or omission, they are deemed,
under the law, to have renounced it (The 1987 Constitution of the
Republic of the Philippines).

4. I. The following symbolizes the Filipino identity:
• The Flag of the Republic of the Philippines (National Historical
Institute, 2002)
• The National Anthem
“Lupang HInirang” - words written by Jose Palma in Spanish and
translated in Filipino by Felipe Padilla de Leon and the music
was composed by Julian Felipe.

5. The Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance may be said during Flag Ceremonies,
specifically during Flag Raising Ceremony. It is also said by those
who are acquiring Filipino Citizenship. It also contains the National
Motto (below also called the Good Citizenship Value) of the
Philippines, vis-à-vis “Maka-Diyos Makatao Makakalikasan at
Makabansa. The following is the pledge:
Panunumpa sa Watawat Ako ay Pilipino Buong katapatang
nanunumpa Sa watawat ng Pilipinas At sa bansang kanyang
sinasagisag Na may dangal, katarungan at kalayaan Na
pinakikilos ng sambayanang Maka-Diyos, Makakalikasan,
Makatao at Makabansa

6. The Vow of a Nationalist--- Ang Panata ng
Makabayan
As the Pledge shown above (although this is not included in the Flag
Heraldic Code) we were also asked to memorize and recite the Vow
of a Nationalist to remind us of our duties as Filipinos.
Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas, aking lupang sinilangan Tahanan ng
aking lahi, kinukupkop ako at tinutulungan Upang maging
malakas, masipag at marangal Dahil mahal ko ang Pilipinas,
Diringgin ko ang payo ng aking mga magulang, Susundin ko ang
tuntunin ng paaralan, Tutuparin ko ang tungkulin ng isang
mamamayang makabayan, Naglilingkod, nag-aaral at
nagdarasal nang buong katapatan. Iaalay ko ang aking buhay,
pangarap, pagsisikap Sa bansang Pilipinas.

7. Motto of a Filipino
The motto of the Republic of the Philippines
as ascribe by the above-mentioned code,
and has been designated by the People
Power Commission as the Good Citizenship
Values are the following: Maka-Diyos
Makatao Makakalikasan at Makabansa.

8. • Maka-Diyos: A Filipino involves his/her
faith to God in every aspect of his/her
life, including political life. In fact, the
word Pamahalaan came from the
Tagalog word for God: Bathala (EDSA
People Power Commission, 2006

9. Makatao: Being very social, a Filipino
takes very seriously his/her
relationship to his/her neighbor. An
example of this is the Filipino’s
hospitality (EDSA People Power
Commission, 2006)

10. • Makakalikasan: Along with his/her
being Maka-Diyos, a Filipino believes
that he/she is the steward of God’s
creation. (EDSA People Power
Commission, 2006

11. • Makabansa (Makabayan): As being
sung in the National Anthem, a Filipino
promises not to let invaders to
“trample” the “sacred shores” of the
country. A Filipino believes, as the
anthem goes that it is glorious to suffer
and die defending the motherland.

12. Civic involvement is one of the duties
of the Filipino and is one of the things
which the law of NSTP (RA 9163)
emphasizes. It is also what NSTP wants
to fulfil in the constitution, specifically
in Article II, Section 4 of the present
Constitution
What can I do for the Society? (Civic Duties)

13. “The prime duty of the Government is to serve
and protect the people. The Government may
call upon the people to defend the State and, in
the fulfilment thereof, all citizens may be
required, under conditions provided by law, to
render personal, military or civil service” (The
1987 Constitution of the Republic of the
Philippines).

14. Political Involvement through
• Suffrage
• Tax
How can I Help my Government?
(Political Duties)

15. Being a Filipino citizen, as mentioned above, has both
right and duty to participate actively in the political
processes of the country. It is a right because, as
Rousseau (1762) taught, so long as the people form
the Sovereign of a Democratic and Republican State, a
citizen has the right to dispense that sovereign power,
called suffrage. Thus, citizens have the right to elect
his or her Government officials. With this, therefore,
it is true that Public Office is Public Trust (The 1987
Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines). This is
the reason why public officials, no matter how high
their position is, must be accountable to the people
who entrusted their posts to them

16. In addition to that, Public Office is Public Trust
is also based on the fact that it is the citizen
who pays the Public Officials to work through
tax. In summary, it is the right of the citizen as
part of the Sovereign to actively participate in
government, or even run for government
because: 1) by virtue of suffrage he/she is the
one who puts the public officials to office; and
2) he/she pays taxes.

17. Thus the constitution says:
Section 1. The Philippines is a democratic and
republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people
and all government authority emanates from them
(The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the
Philippines).
However, active involvement to the political
processes is also the duty of the Filipino because it is
one of those things he/she pledged in the above-
mentioned Pledge of Allegiance, with the motto of
being Makabansa. As part of the sovereign people
he/she has the duty to exercise his/her power

18. through suffrage and make those in office be accountable.
If he/she would not exercise suffrage through his/her
participation to the elections, he/she would not be able
to make those in office be aware that they are
accountable to him/her as their servants (Rousseau,
1762). On the other hand, if he/she would not fulfil
his/her part of paying taxes, what can his/her Public
Servants use to run the Public Services? It is but very
advantageous to participate in electoral process and to
pay taxes, therefore.

19. The Characteristics of Volunteering
Motive: Not for financial rewards
Target: Someone other than the volunteer
Freedom: According to one’s free will
Political Purpose: Furthering active
citizenship and community involvement
Social Purpose: Enhance human potential
and quality of daily life, building up human
solidarity

20. DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF CITIZENS
(1973 constitution)
Though not included in the 1987 constitution, the 1973 constitution
stated the following as the citizens’ obligation and duties to the
country:
• SECTION 1. It shall be the duty of the citizen to be loyal to the
Republic and to honor the Philippine flag, to defend the State and
contribute to its development and welfare, to uphold the
Constitution and obey the laws, and to cooperate with the duly
constituted authorities in the attainment and preservation of a just
and orderly society.
• SEC. 2. The rights of the individual impose upon him the correlative
duty to exercise them responsibly and with due regard for the rights
of others.

21. DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF CITIZENS
SEC. 3. It shall be the duty of every citizen to engage in
gainful work to assure himself and his family a life worthy of
human dignity.
• SEC. 4. It shall be the obligation of every citizen qualified
to vote to register and cast his vote.

22. I will be a Filipino!
Filipinos are, therefore, in their education, trained
to actualize the Filipino bayanihan spirit shown all
throughout history, and specifically in times times of
war and during this pandemic crisis.
Bayanihan is the Filipino version of volunteerism, a
summary of the Filipino values of: pakikisama,
pakikipagkapwa, pakikiramay, pakikitungo, hiya,
dangal, utang na loob, paggalang (Old NSTP-CWTS
Module 9: Concepts and Principles of Volunteering).

23. •END of the Presentation