IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR ADMISSION TO PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP HUI ENG, PETITIONER-APPELLEE, VS. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, OPPOSITOR-APPELLANT

This is an appeal, taken by the
Solicitor General, from a decision of the Court of First Instance of Misamis Occidental granting the petition of appellee Hui Eng for
naturalization as citizen of the Philippines.

Upon a review of the record, we
find that Hui Eng has no lucrative trade. According to
his own petition, he has an average annual income of P6,000, which is not
particularly lucrative for one who, like petitioner herein, is married and has
five (5) children, four (4) of them of school age. This becomes more apparent
when we consider the prevailing high cost of living, its tendency to become even
higher, and the fact that two (2) of petitioner’s children are of high school
age (14 and 12 years in 1962, now 18 and 16 years, respectively). (Keng Giok vs. Republic, G.R. No.
L-13347, August 31, 1961; Justo Tan @ Li Sui vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-16013, March 30, 1963; Uy Ching Ho vs. Republic, G.R. No.
L-19582, March 26, 1965; Yu Tiu vs. Republic, G.R. No.
L-19844, June 30, 1965; Ong Hock Lian @ Julian Ong vs. Republic,
G.R. No. L-21197, May 19, 1966.)

At any rate, petitioner has not
evinced a sincere desire to embrace our customs and traditions and to mingle
with the Filipinos or be assimilated by them socially, he having sent his
children of school age to Chinese schools – Chiang Kai Shek High School in Manila and Misamis Chinese High School in Ozamis City (Ong Ching Guan vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-15691, March 27, 1961;
Garchitorena vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-15102, April 20,
1961; Sy See v. Republic, G.R. No. L-17025, May
38,1962; Haw Su Siong & Ramon Cuenco vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-15819, September 29, 1962;
Harry Ong Ping Seng vs.
Republic, G.R. No. L-19575, February 25, 1965; Uy
Ching Ho vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-19582, March 26,
1965; Li Tong Pek vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-20912,
November 29, 1965; Lim Yuen vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-21218, December 24, 1965;
Chan Kiat Huat vs. Republic,
G.R. No. L-19579, February 28, 1966).

WHEREFORE, the decision appealed from
should be, as it is hereby, reversed and appellee’s
petition for naturalization dismissed, with costs against the
petitioner.

IT IS SO
ORDERED.

Reyes, J. B. L., Barrera, Dizon, Regala, Makalintal, Bengzon, J. P., Zaldivar, Sanchez and Ruiz Castro, JJ.,
concur.