House approves bill allowing academics with dual citizenship to be appointed to public universities and colleges

The House of Representatives passed on its Third and final reading on Tuesday, August 13, a bill that seeks to allow the appointment of faculty members, researchers, and administrators with dual citizenship to public higher educational institutions (HEIs) in the country.

House Bill 10251, authored by Baguio City congressman Mark Go, seeks to amend Republic Act 9225 or the Citizenship Retention or Re-Acquisition Act of 2003 to allow qualified Filipino professionals who hold dual citizenship or were naturalized in another country to be appointed as an administrator, researcher, or faculty member of local and state universities and colleges.

According to Go, who is also the chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, the bill would address the need of public HEIs for qualified professionals and personnel to advance standards of excellence in education, research, and innovation across the board.

“There are many Filipino professors and professionals who have acquired citizenship in other countries who are willing to be appointed and be part of our public HEIs but such action is prohibited under the present law on citizenship,” Go said in his explanatory note.

The Baguio solon added that this provision would allow local and state universities and colleges to hire the best applicants possessing the skills and qualifications needed to boost their own competitiveness and rankings here and abroad.

Once passed, the bill would also allow these HEIs to develop research culture and productivity on a global scale, address skill gaps in certain disciplines, and enrich these institutions’ academic environments by bringing in diverse perspectives and experiences.

The University of the Philippines, an autonomous national university, remains the top university in the Philippines based on the 2024 QS World University Rankings Asia at #78. The only state universities that made the list are the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and Mindanao State University, ranked 551-600 and 801+ respectively.

According to Go, the bill would allow more local and state universities and colleges to raise their academic competitiveness and be part of these world rankings. ### (PR)