LEGALIZATION OF RESIDENCE OF ALIENS

Sec 41. (a) Any alien in the Philippines at the time of the passage of this Act concerning who no record of admission for permanent residence exits or can be located may apply to the Commissioner of Immigration for legalization of his residence in the Philippines. The application shall be made in the form and manner prescribed by regulations issued by the Commissioner. Any alien in the Philippines, whose record of admission for permanent residence does not exist or cannot be located and who shall fall to legalize his residence in the Philippines as provided in this section, shall be presumed to be unlawfully within the Philippines. [As amended by Republic Act No. 503, Sec. 14]

(b) If the Commissioner of Immigration finds that the applicant - (1) entered the Philippines prior to the effective date of this Act; (2) has maintained a residence in the Philippines since he entered; (3) is a person of good moral character; and (4) is not subject to deportation – the Commissioner shall make a record in the Bureau of Immigration that the applicant’s residence in the Philippines has been legalized.

(c) An alien whose residence has been legalized in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be deemed to have been lawfully admitted into the Philippines as of the date of his entry.

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Japanese-Filipino Kids Welcome New Law on Citizenship

The June 4 decision of the Japan Supreme Court will reverse the old law which only grants nationality to Japanese-Filipino children whose parents were married legally. The new law will include children whose parents are not legally married.

BY GERMELINA A. LACORTE
Davao Today
Posted by Bulatlat
Vol. VIII, No. 30, August 31-September 6, 2008

DAVAO CITY— James Akiyama, 20, has regularly been receiving support money from his Japanese father since he was born.

But under the old law of Japan, Japanese Filipino children like him could never become full-fledged Japanese citizens because their parents never married.

“The June 4 ruling of the Japanese Supreme Court will change this,” said Japanese Lawyer Hironori Kondoh of the Tokyo-based Japanese-Filipino Children Lawyers Association during his visit to Davao early this month.

“The Japanese Supreme Court has pronounced the old ruling as “unconstitutional,” Kondoh told a jampacked room of affected Japanese Filipino children and their mothers. “It’s not the fault of the children that their parents were unmarried.”

Kondoh said that the June 4 decision of the Japan Supreme Court will reverse the old law which only grants nationality to Japanese-Filipino children whose parents were married legally. He said that the new law will include children whose parents are not legally married.

Japanese media expect the Diet (Japanese Parliament) to start session towards the end of August. Although there is some opposition to the law, there is a big chance that it will be passed, according to Kondoh, one of the 60 lawyers helping the Japanese Filipino children in Japan.

Kondoh urged Japanese Filipino children in a forum to take advantage of the new law.

He said children and mothers living in Davao can apply before the Japanese embassy once the law takes effect. He also said the application must be done before the child reaches 20 years old. “Japanese-Filipino children from 16 to 19 years old should prepare their documents as soon as possible,” he said.

Akiyama welcomes the new ruling of the Japanese Supreme Court (SC), saying it will give him a chance to see his father, whom he has never met since he was three years old.

The new ruling is expected to open applications for Japanese citizenship among tens of thousands of Japanese Filipino children abandoned by their fathers.

“All they want is recognition more than anything else,” said Sr. Celine Cajanding, executive director of the Center for Overseas Workers Development Inc. (Cowdi), which has been assisting women with Japanese Filipino children in Davao. “They’re saying that if they can’t go there themselves, at least, their children can.”

Jean Bingcoy, president of the Samahan ng Kababaihan para sa Karapatan ng mga Japanese Filipino Children (Women’s Association for the Rights of Japanese-Filipino Children), said her 11-year-old son has not been recognized under the law, although his father has been sending financial support once in a while.

“The new law will help a lot,” she said, “Parents do not need to get married to have their children recognized.”

She said that if the new law will push through, many children abandoned by their Japanese fathers will be looking for a chance to go to Japan. “Life is better in Japan compared to here,” said Bingcoy.

“Some women are also hoping that through their children, they can get residency and a passport,” said Cajanding. “They are the ones who would take care of the children, so, they’ll be allowed to go there.”

At least 40 members of the SKKJ are living in Davao with their Japanese Filipino children, whose fathers are in Japan. Some of these Japanese fathers are sending them financial support while others are not, Cajanding said.

“We expect the Diet (Parliament) to revise the nationality law in August,” said Kondoh. “But even before the law is revised, the government will start accepting application for nationality before September.”

Naoko Kono, executive director of the Maligaya House, a Manila-based NGOs assisting Japanese-Filipino children and their mothers, said their Manila office has handled 840 cases of Japanese Filipino children in Manila since 1994. The cases included those children abandoned by their Japanese fathers.

“Most of these children have no official legal recognition and have not been supported financially,” said Kono. “They need food and money.”

Most of mothers are already married, she said. “But in other cases their Japanese husbands divorced them without their consent,” she said of the Filipina wives. “Sometimes, the husbands falsify their wife’s signatures; in which case, we help the woman file a criminal case against the husband and require the husband to give financial support.”

She said that their Tokyo office handle 500 cases since they opened about 10 years ago. Most of these cases were endorsed by Maligaya House.

The disparity of the living conditions between Japan and the Philippines pushes more Filipinas to find work in Japan, where they mostly land as entertainers.

Kono said that they’re currently handling 20 to 30 ongoing paternity cases. Of the 843 cases they handled in 10 years, only 20 or 30 per cent were successful.

“Oftentimes, the mother drops the case because she doesn’t want to prolong her agonies. She wants to move on with her life and marry someone else,” Kono said. Davao Today / Posted by Bulatlat

WANT TO RETIRE IN PHILIPPINES?

PHILIPPINE LEISURE & RETIREMENT AUTHORITY
29th Floor, Citibank Tower
8741 Paseo de Roxas, 1200 Makati City
PHILIPPINES

PRINCIPAL APPLICANT

1. Duly accomplished Philippine Leisure and Retirement Authority Application Form ;

2. Original Passport with Valid Entry Status;

3. Medical Examination Clearance (if secured abroad, to be translated in English, if applicable, and authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate;

4. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance from the Philippines or Police Clearance from abroad (to be translated in English, if applicable, and authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate)

5. 6 pieces of 1x1 and 6 pieces 2x2 Pictures

6. Bank Certification of Dollar Time Deposit – Inward Remittance to PLRA Accredited Banks (Instructions here; Telegraphic Transfer Form here)

7. Depository Requirements:
35 – 49 years old = US$ 75,000.00
50 years old and above = US$ 50,000.00
Former Filipinos = US$ 1,500.00 (at least 35 years old but regardless of the number of dependents)
Retired ADB employees = US$ 25,000.00 (50 years and above) = US$ 50,000.00 (below 50 years old)
Retired Foreign Ambassadors = US$ 1,500.00
Retired military personnel (and members of the diplomatic corps below Ambassador level) = US$ 50,000.00
Additional Dependent (in excess of two) = US$ 15,000.00 (except Former Filipinos)

Note: For ADB retirees, the balance of US$ 25,000.00 shall be filled in by pre-existing investment in real property.

8. Fees:
US$1,500.00 processing and service fee
US$10.00 Annual PLRA ID Card fee (waived for the first year)

SPOUSE

1. Duly accomplished Philippine Leisure and Retirement Authority Application Form ;

2. Original Passport with Valid Entry Status;

3. Medical Examination Clearance (may be obtained from a PLRA-accredited clinic in Manila)

4. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance from the Philippines or clearance from the applicant’s police authorities

5. 6 pieces of 1x1 and 6 pieces 2x2 Pictures

6. Marriage Certificate*

7. Fees:
US$300.00 processing and service fee
US$10.00 Annual PLRA ID Card fee (waived for the first year)

DEPENDENT/S

1. Duly accomplished Philippine Leisure and Retirement Authority Application Form ;

2. Original Passport with Valid Entry Status;

3. Medical Examination Clearance (may be obtained from a PLRA-accredited clinic in Manila)

4. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance from the Philippines or clearance from the applicant’s police authorities

5. 6 pieces of 1x1 and 6 pieces 2x2 Pictures;

6. Birth Certificate*

7. Fees:
US$300.00 processing and service fee
US$10.00 Annual PLRA ID Card fee (waived for the first year)
* In lieu of the Marriage or Birth Certificates:
Family Register/Domicile (for Koreans)
Household Register (for Taiwanese)
Certificate of Relationship (for P.R.O.C. Chinese)
NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS ISSUED IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH SHALL BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION AUTHENTICATED BY THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY / CONSULATE SERVING THE LOCALITY OF THE APPLICANT.

ALL DOCUMENTS ISSUED ABROAD OR BY A FOREIGN AUTHORITY SHALL BE LIKEWISE BE AUTHENTICATED BY THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY / CONSULATE SERVING THE LOCALITY OF THE APPLICANT.

http://www.retire-asia.com/retire-phil.shtml

Visa Options for Staying in the Philippines

The Philippines government recently lowered their requirements for retirees. Previously $50,000, now it is only $10,000 per retiree including a spouse. In addition, a retiree needs evidence of a monthly pension of $800 for a single person or $1,000 for a couple.

As long as you do not intend working or running a business in the Philippines, it's also possible to retire on a tourist visa, and many do; especially those who either do not want or qualify for a retirement visa. It costs $20 per month to stay on a tourist visa, and you can do it indefinitely provided you leave the country for at least one day, once a year. Though you are officially a tourist, you have effectively retired in the Philippines. For the annual trip there are several options, such as spending a few days making a trip to Hong Kong or Thailand. Package deals are available costing less than $300. You can also check flights and accommodation to and within the Philippines here.