I’m a Balikbayan who has become a naturalized American citizen. Can I acquire Real Property in the Philippines?

Yes, a natural born Filipino who has acquired American or any foreign citizenship may still own lands in the Philippines but with limitations in land area. For residential purposes, you may own up to 1,000 square meters of urban land and/or 1 hectare of rural land. For commercial/business purposes, you may own up to 5,000 square meters of urban land and/or 3 hectares of rural land. In case of married couples, each of them can avail of this privilege given that the total area acquired does not exceed the maximum land area allowed. However, if you avail of the Dual Citizenship Law, you can buy as much as any other Filipino citizen.

According to R.A.9225 (Dual Citizenship Law of 2003), former Filipino citizens who have acquired foreign citizenship or citizens of other countries have not lost their Philippine citizenship. Therefore, they can still enjoy all the rights and privileges of any other Filipino when it comes to land ownership in the Philippines.

How can I gain Dual Citizenship?
Here are the steps:

1. File a “Petition for Dual Citizenship and Issuance of Identification Certificate (IC) pursuant to RA 9225” at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and for the cancellation of your alien certificate of registration.
2. If you are not in the Philippines or not Bureau of Immigration registered, you should file the petition at the nearest embassy or consulate in your place.

What are the requirements?

• Birth certificate authenticated my the National Statistics Office (NSO) of the philippines. (This can be accomplished online and mailed to you)
• Accomplish and submit a “Petition for Dual Citizenship and Issuance of Identification Certificate (IC) pursuant to RA 9225” to a Philippine embassy, consulate or the Bureau of Immigration.
• Pay a processing fee $50. Then schedule and take an “Oath of Allegiance” before a consular officer.
• The Bureau of Immigration in Manila receives the petition from the embassy or consular office. The Bureau of Immigration issues and sends an Identification Certificate of citizenship to the embassy or consular office.

Here’s a compilation of some Davao houses for sale and for construction. These houses are located in different subdivisions in Davao City. You might get ideas on what kind of house you’d like to have and which location is the best for you and your family by viewing some of the sample Davao houses in the video below.

Note: Depending on the subdivision developer, Davao houses can be availed through Pag-IBIG, In-house, and/or bank financing. Enjoy discounts for Spot cash payments.

Buying a house will probably be one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in your entire life. It’s a very important decision to make so take your time and decide wisely.

Here are some basic tips DavaoPropertyFinder has for you:

• Know what kind of house you are looking for. Bungalow? 2-storey? Low Cost? High-end?
• Location. Remember that the location of a subdivision or a property greatly depends on the location. General rule is: The nearer it is to the city, the higher it’s price will be.
• Analyze your budget. Answer this question: How much can I afford? Yes, this is a very basic question but keep in mind that this will be your guide in working out your finances later.
• Choose the most suitable financing option for you. Pag-ibig? In-House? Bank Financing?

As always, if you have any questions about any of the subdivisions / Davao houses in the video above, feel free to drop us a message here.

Good luck!