ALLOWING APPLICANTS FOR NATURALIZATION AS CITIZENS OF THE PHILIPPINES TO CONDITIONALLY TAKE ANY BOARD EXAMINATION, EXCEPT THE BAR EXAMINATIONS, IF OTHERWISE QUALIFIED, PENDING A…

WHEREAS, existing laws generally require that for admission
to take the examinations given by the different Boards of Examiners for the
various professions the applicants for examination must be citizens of the
Philippines at the time the examinations are held;

WHEREAS, there are many deserving aliens who, except for
their citizenship, are otherwise qualified to take the Board examinations for
the different professions and who have pending applications for naturalization
by decree under Letter of Instructions No. 270, as amended by Letters of
Instructions Nos. 283 and 491, or similar issuances;

WHEREAS, the above-cited Letters of Instructions, in
providing for a simpler and easier procedure for admission as Filipino citizens
of a larger number of aliens, were issued “in order that aliens permanently
residing in this country who having developed and demonstrated love for and
loyalty to the Philippines and affinity to the customs, traditions and ideals of
the Filipino people, as well as contributed to the economic, social and cultural
development of our country, may be integrated into the national fabric by the
grant of Philippine citizenship;”

WHEREAS, the above-mentioned objective is somehow thwarted
by the rigid and technical requirement under existing laws that only those who
are actually citizens of the Philippines on the date of examination may take the
various Board examinations for the different professions; and

WHEREAS, this impediment or drawback to the full integration
of aliens into the national fabric may be removed by allowing them to
conditionally take any Board examination to which they are otherwise qualified
pending approval of their applications for naturalization.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby
order and decree:

SECTION 1. Any provision of existing laws to the contrary
notwithstanding, any alien who has filed an application for naturalization as
citizen of the Philippines by decree may, pending approval thereof, be allowed
to take any examination given by the various Boards of Examiners for the
different professions, except the bar examinations, if said alien is otherwise
qualified to take the examination: Provided, That in case he passes the
examination the results thereof shall be withheld insofar as he is concerned and
he shall not be issued the certificate of registration to practise the
particular profession until his application for naturalization is approved and
he takes his oath as citizen of the Philippines.

SEC. 2. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or
parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Decree are hereby
repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 3. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 17th day of April, in the year of Our Lord,
nineteen hundred and seventy-eight.

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) JACOBO C. CLAVE
		Presidential Executive Assistant