AN ACT GRANTING LEGAL RESIDENCE STATUS TO CERTAIN ALIENS THROUGH A SOCIAL INTEGRATION PROGRAM IN THE PHILIPPINES UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

Nineth Congress
Third Regular Session

[ REPUBLIC ACT No. 7919, February 24, 1995 ]

AN ACT GRANTING LEGAL RESIDENCE STATUS TO CERTAIN ALIENS THROUGH A SOCIAL INTEGRATION PROGRAM IN THE PHILIPPINES UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as "The Alien Social Integration Act of 1995."

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State shall control and regulate the admission and integration of aliens into its territory and politic. Towards this end, aliens with unlawful residence status shall be integrated into the mainstream of Philippine society subject to national security and interest, and in deference to internationally recognized human rights.

Section 3. Coverage. - Upon effectivity of this Act, all aliens whose stay in the Philippines is otherwise illegal under existing laws, and who have entered the country prior to June 30, 1992, including those who availed in good faith of the benefits of Executive Order No. 324 whose applications have been approved before or after November 21, 1988, are hereby granted legal residence status upon compliance with the provisions of this Act, and shall not be prosecuted for crimes defined under Commonwealth Act No. 613, otherwise known as the Immigration Act of 1940, which are inherent to illegal residence such as the absence of valid travel documents or visa: Provided, That in no case shall alien refugees in the Philippines be qualified to apply under this Act.

The bar to prosecution shall apply only to such crimes or felonies committed due to acts necessary or essential to maintain a false or fraudulent or illegal residence, such as falsification of marriage, birth or baptismal certificates or travel documents, visas or alien certificates of registration.

Section 4. Integration Requirements and Fees. - The social integration of aliens established under Section 3 shall be effective and its benefits enjoyed by illegal residents upon completion of all the following acts:

Section 5. Official Receipt. - The commercial or universal bank shall issue an official receipt acknowledging receipt of the integration fee, upon payment by the applicant of a processing fee of One thousand pesos (P1,000). In the event registration was effected under paragraph 2 of subsection 4.1, the bank shall furnish copies of the registration documents to the following agencies: (1) the civil register of the applicant's place of residence; (2) the BIR; and (3) the NBI. Thereafter, the bank shall issue a certification to this effect in favor of the applicant.

Section 6. Duties of the Bureau of Immigration. - Upon presentation by the applicant of the official receipt from the bank, together with a certification from the bank or the agency concerned, as the case may be that the civil registrar, BIR and NBI received copies of the registration forms, and the submission to the Bureau of Immigration of the registration forms defined in Section 4.2 hereof, the Bureau of Immigration shall immediately issue an alien certificate of registration (ACR) to the applicant. The legal residence granted under this Act shall commence from the date the Bureau of Immigration issues the ACR.

The Bureau of Immigration shall publish, at the applicant's cost, the names, ages, addresses, and a photograph of each of the applicants in a national newspaper of general circulation at the end of each calendar month during the effectivity of the application period, as hereinafter provided in Section 8. The banks authorized under this Act to collect the fees herein required shall collect a publication fee of Five thousand pesos (P5,000) from the applicant.

Section 7. Ministerial Duty of the Civil Registrar, the BIR and the NBI. - The civil registrar, the BIR and the NBI shall have the ministerial duty to accept the registration forms required under Section 4. Each of these agencies may charge no more than One hundred pesos (P100) for the filing of the registration forms. Upon payment of the filing fee, the agency concerned shall issue a certification that the alien has filed with said office by himself/herself or through the bank, all the forms required under Section 4.

Section 8. Application Period. - The benefits extended by Section 3 can be availed of from June 1, 1995 to December 31, 1996.

Section 9. Administrative Confirmation. - The procedure herein provided may be availed of by any alien who may want a confirmation or affirmation of his stay in the Philippines.

Section 10. Eligibility for Citizenship. - Aliens granted legal residence under this Act shall be eligible to apply for naturalization after five (5) years from the approval of his/her application.

Section 11. Compliance Report and Oversight Functions. - The Bureau of Immigration shall submit to the chair of the committees on justice of each chamber of Congress, copy furnished the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, a written report on the developments in the implementation of this Act on November 30, 1995, May 31, 1996, November 30, 1996, and May 31, 1997 for purposes of oversight functions.

Section 12. Perjury. - The registration forms, together with the proof required therein, shall be supported by affidavits of two (2) Filipino citizens of good reputation in the applicant's place of residence.

All applications shall be under oath or affirmation, which oath or affirmation shall be required for their registration. Applicants who violate their oath or affirmation by knowingly making untruthful statements on any material matter in their applications shall be liable for perjury under the Revised Penal Code.

In addition to the penalty imposed on perjury, the subsequent convictions of the applicant shall revoke the legal residence granted him/her and shall subject the applicant to deportation proceedings.

Section 13. Appropriation. - There is hereby appropriated, out of the payments received under Section 4 hereof, an amount of Five million pesos (P5,000,000) to cover administrative and other expenses to be incurred in the implementation of this Act.

Section 14. Privacy Clause. - Information submitted by an alien applicant pursuant to this Act, shall be used only for the purpose of determining the veracity of the factual statements by the applicant or for enforcing the penalties prescribed by this Act.

Section 15. Rule-making Powers. - The provisions of this Act are self-executory and shall not be dependent on the issuance of any rules or regulations. The Secretary of Justice is hereby authorized, however, to promulgate only such rules and regulations as may be needed to efficiently and administratively implement the provisions of this Act.

Section 16. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

Section 17. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees or rules inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 18. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after the completion of its publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on February 21, 1995.

Approved: February 24, 1995

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines