Talks for new PH honorary consul in CNMI underway

Consul Ricardo Aragon of the Philippine Consulate General in Agana, Guam said talks are underway for a potential candidate for the position of honorary consul of the Philippines in the CNMI.

The new honorary consul candidate he declined to name will replace Glicerio “Eli” Arago, who passed away in November 2021.

“We’ve been looking for an honorary consul to take the place of the late Eli Arago. He’s been a good friend to the Consulate of Guam. He’s been a good friend to the Filipino community here. A very big help and it’s very sad that he passed away a couple of years ago, but we’ve been trying to identify someone who’s willing. We are talking to someone but there’s no commitment… there are talks, there are points of clarifications,” said Aragon during an interview during the PCG in Agana, Guam’s mobile outreach mission at the Sun Palace Hotel in Susupe last Saturday.

Aragon said that becoming an honorary consul is not simple and requires background checks. He added that one must not just be willing to help, but should have commitment, resources since the position does not have a salary, and can muster community involvement. He also mentioned that they should be aware that they are representing the Philippine government and should prioritize the concerns of the Filipinos.

“The nominee must be acceptable to both the Philippine and U.S. governments,” added Aragon.

The honorary consul does not have to be Filipino, according to Aragon.

“Being a Philippine honorary consul who’s representing the Philippine government doesn’t have to be a Filipino. There’s nothing that says that it’s mandatory that he should be a Filipino. We have honorary consuls on other regions, in other jurisdictions who are not Filipinos. But here, we’re all aware that that’s the preference of the Filipinos.”

Meanwhile, Aragon administered the oath-taking of 27 naturalized U.S. citizens who wanted to become dual citizens of the Philippines.

The oath-taking ceremony was conducted in two sessions due to space limitations and weather conditions. There were 12 oath-takers present at 10am and 15 oath-takers were present at 2pm.

Aragon mentioned that the largest group of Filipino migrants are in the United States, including Guam and the CNMI during his briefing about the rights and privileges and reacquiring Filipino citizenship.

He explained that Filipinos who became U.S. or Canadian citizens automatically lost their Filipino citizenship and that the Philippine government implemented the Dual Citizenship Act in 2003 to allow former Filipinos to reacquire their citizenship.

Aragon emphasized the importance of passports, noting that they have to re-apply for a Philippine passport and cannot reactivate their old Philippine passport since they have revoked their Filipino citizenship when they acquired their U.S. citizenship.

Dual citizens can work in the Philippines, but certain professions require specific licenses from the Professional Regulation Commission.

Buying and owning any type of property in the Philippines, including agricultural, commercial, and residential properties are among the benefits of having dual citizenship. There are no restrictions on business enterprises for dual citizens, unlike for foreign nationals who need to meet certain regulatory requirements.

Aragon also discussed the avoidance of a double taxation agreement between the Philippines and the United States to ensure that income is not taxed twice.

“In 1977, the Philippines and the United States entered into a bilateral agreement on the avoidance of double taxation on the same source of income…salary that you are making here, you’re already paying taxes to the U.S. government on that. If you decide to work in the Philippines, the U.S. government is not going to tax your income there.”

The dual citizen can also vote in Philippine elections and Aragon announced that the 2025 mid-term elections in the Philippines will have the very first online voting for overseas Filipinos.

Aragon also emphasizes the importance of taking pride in Filipino citizenship and not treating it as a convenience, adding said that they can only reacquire Filipino citizenship once because some dual citizens renounce their Filipino citizenship to meet requirements for federal employment or U.S. military service. He added that renouncing Filipino citizenship is a one-time decision.

The participants are advised to consider the implications of renouncing Filipino citizenship before making such a decision.

Teogenes Mendoza, a 60-year-old who arrived on Saipan in 1988 and currently works as an engineering supervisor at Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, acquired his U.S. citizenship in Feb. 15, 2024, through his child.

“I applied for dual citizenship because of my plan of staying in the Philippines for good when I retire,” said Mendoza.

Marites Matson, who acquired her citizenship through marriage on Jan. 18, 2018, said she just came back to Saipan to have her dual citizenship oath-taking last Saturday.

“I left Saipan in July 2, 2022, to work in California as a caregiver for five months then moved to Lebanon, Kentucky and got a better job in quality control for Toyota Boshoku America Kentucky. I applied for the dual citizenship because there are advantages for both,” she said.

The dual citizenship oath-taking ceremony concluded the Philippine Consulate General in Agana, Guam’s two-day outreach mission on Saipan. They were on Tinian yesterday and are scheduled to conduct their mobile outreach services on Rota today.

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