30 October 2014 – In fulfillment of their FYLPRO Legacy Project commitment, Filipino Youth Leadership Program (FYLPro) New York Batch 2 delegates Rachelle Ocampo and Edward Santos launched the Filipino American Dual Citizenship Initiative (FADCI) on October 15, which pushed for more Filipino Americans to apply for dual citizenship or report their birth by this online portal.
FADCI aims to educate on the eligibility requirements and help streamline the dual citizenship process. Their specific goal is to raise the number of dual applicants by 10% in the upcoming year and push for more streamlined application protocol via a common application throughout all Consulates. In August and September, with the cooperation of the Philippine Consulate General in New York, they co-hosted Information Sessions for the community in order to educate potential dual citizens about the eligibility requirements, the application process, and frequently asked questions. These very informative sessions also highlighted the launch of the FADCI website, www.fadci.com, which includes all of the helpful information that one needs to apply and features personal stories of fellow Filipino-Americans who are applying to be dual citizens.
The initiative has now spread to the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago that is now being spearheaded by the FYLPro Chicago delegates who are in the midst of their info sessions and mass oath-taking ceremony at the end of October. “We are hoping to replicate these info sessions and mass oath-taking ceremonies across the US and push to educate more young FilAms about the benefits and rights that are bestowed on us as Philippine natural-born citizens. I didn't even know I was eligible until I read the requirements from the Consulate. ” says Rachelle Ocampo.
As part of the Consulate General’s commemoration of Filipino-American Heritage Month, a community oath-taking ceremony presided by the Philippine Consul General was held at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center on October 08 for Filipino-Americans who just re-acquired their dual citizenship.
During the ceremony, Philippine Consul General Mario de Leon Jr. emphasized the importance of taking advantage of these benefits – the right to establish business and profession in the Philippines, own property, execute research and education as a local, and the right to exercise suffrage. He likewise encouraged parents to avail of the privilege so as to extend all these rights unto their children.
He urged the newly-sworn-in dual citizens to remain faithful to their identity and commit to their responsibility as Filipinos, “reaching out to our heritage and honoring what makes you Filipino and displaying it proudly.”
With the benefits of re-acquiring and asserting one’s Filipino citizenship, this initiative has now been transformed to serve as a multi-purpose platform for various concerns affecting Filipino-Americans and will open more doors for proactive participation from young Filipino-Americans to contribute more than just balikbayan boxes and remittances- but to contribute their time to volunteer, to share their creative talents to the Philippines, or to start businesses to economically help their fellow kababayans. END