A new proposal in the United States Senate aimed at ending dual citizenship has prompted a warning from Philippine officials in Washington, urging Filipino Americans to think carefully before giving up their Philippine nationality.
The reminder followed the filing of the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 by Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno on December 1, a move that reignited discussions on the long-standing policy allowing people to hold both American and foreign citizenships.
“Our Philippine foreign service posts in the United States are closely monitoring the bill and advise the Filipino-American community to do the same and exercise caution in renouncing their citizenship. Renunciation of Philippine citizenship is an irreversible legal action,” the Philippine Embassy said.
The legislation asserts that allegiance to the United States must be singular, as Moreno emphasized when introducing the measure. “One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so,” he said. “It was an honor to pledge an oath of allegiance to the United States of America and only to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege—and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good,” he added.
Philippine officials noted that the proposal would undergo legislative scrutiny and highlighted that similar ideas previously failed to advance in Congress. They also cited a 1952 ruling by the US Supreme Court that recognized a person’s right to possess nationality in more than one country and described dual citizenship as a “status long recognized by law.”
Data from the US Census Bureau shows close to five million people in the country identifying as Filipino in 2023, a figure that includes American-born individuals and immigrants of Philippine descent.
Filipinos continue to obtain or reacquire Philippine citizenship in significant numbers, with 226 people in Orlando, Florida, gaining dual status in October alone after earlier naturalization in the United States.
