Dual citizens approved for SUC faculty, admin posts

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill allowing dual citizens to be appointed as faculty members, researchers, and administrators in state universities and colleges (SUCs).

With 244 affirmative votes, five against, and no abstentions, the chamber passed House Bill No. 5019 on Tuesday.

House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos III said the measure, endorsed under the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, would enable public higher education institutions to tap a broader pool of talent, including Filipino professionals who have built careers overseas.

Marcos, one of the principal authors, said the bill forms part of the House’s efforts to advance education and human capital development measures.

“The House has been productive in passing several pieces of legislation that respond to real needs, and we intend to keep that pace,” he said.

The proposed measure seeks to amend the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 to exempt dual citizens appointed to academic, research, and administrative posts in SUCs, local universities and colleges, and other public higher education institutions from the requirement to renounce their oath of allegiance to another country.

Under the bill, qualified dual citizens may assume posts without giving up their foreign citizenship — a move proponents described as a practical distinction between elective or policymaking positions and technical or academic roles.

Lawmakers said the measure aims to help public universities compete for excellence by keeping Filipino expertise connected to local classrooms and laboratories.

Supporters added that the policy recognizes the realities of a global labor market, where many Filipinos acquire advanced credentials abroad, and would allow SUCs to recruit professionals for instruction, research collaboration, and institutional management.

The change is also expected to strengthen research output and graduate-level mentoring in priority fields, where international experience and academic networks play a key role in improving institutional competitiveness.