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Alvarez appeals to Pinoys
in US: Invest and Vote
September 24, 2003
By: DANNY LAMILA
US Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, California -- As the registration period
for overseas voters officially comes to a close,
Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Communities
Secretary Heherson T. Alvarez rallied Filipino residents
here to participate in the affairs of their country
of birth by "beating the deadline to register
and vote in the upcoming elections and to invest
your hard-earned dollars back home."
Speaking before a town hall meeting held in the
Philippine Consulate in Southern California , Alvarez
urged various Filipino communities comprised of
immigrants and workers to "embrace the Absentee
Voting Law that will select the next worthy leaders
of our Motherland," as well as to help pump-prime
the local economy.
With the registration period for Filipinos overseas
ending on September 30, Alvarez stressed that their
chance to exercise their right to vote may go to
waste because only about 300,000 voters registered
in government's registration centers abroad or about
18 percent of the total estimated 1.7 million potential
Filipino voters abroad.
According to Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat
of the Department of Foreign Affairs (OAVS-DFA),
the Americas and the US cluster still registered
the lowest turn-out of registrants.
Meanwhile, Alvarez noted that Republic Act 9225
or the recently-enacted Citizenship Retention and
Re-acquisition Act of 2003 will pave the way for
Filipinos all over the world to regain not only
their right to Filipino citizenship but also to
own real state properties, explore the natural resources,
and invest 100 percent in businesses reserved only
for Filipino.
"Dual citizenship is the latest globalization
effort of developed countries to reach out to third
world countries and alleviate sufferings and poverty.
There are over 80 countries which now allow dual
citizenship," he explained.
Alvarez told the Filipino immigrants of the advantages
of investing in the Philippines , particularly in
real state and oil, and gas exploration compared
to the low return on their US bank deposits which
ranges from only 1 to 2 percent interest growth
rate.
"When you invest your savings, transferring
it from US banks to Philippine soil, you will realize
a substantial profit on your investments while creating
jobs for your countrymen at the same time. You will
truly become the modern heroes in our generation,"
he urged.
While the 14th amendment in the US Constitution,
he added, gives naturalized citizens all the rights
and privileges of natural born citizen, Filipino-Americans
also have the right to choose dual citizenship,
which cannot be jeopardized or taken away even by
an act of the US Congress.
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