MANILA – A measure granting British entrepreneur Kwok Yam Ian Chan Philippine citizenship has lapsed into law without the signature of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Republic Act No. 11826 lapsed into law on June 2, 2022 sans Duterte's signature.
"Mr. Kwok Yam Ian Chan is hereby granted Philippine citizenship with all the rights, privileges, and prerogatives, as well as the duties and obligations appurtenant thereto under the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of the Philippines," the law read.
Under the law, Chan must take the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before an officer duly authorized to administer the oath. The oath of allegiance must be registered with the Bureau of Immigration.
"Upon registration of the Oath of Allegiance, the Bureau of Immigration shall issue a Certificate of Naturalization to Mr. Kwok Yam Ian Chan who shall thereupon enter into the full enjoyment of Philippine citizenship," the law said.
The Act which originated in the House of Representatives was passed by the House and the Senate on Sept. 21, 2021 and Jan. 31, 2022, respectively.
Based on the House Bill 10001, Chan has been residing in the Philippines since 1990.
He obtained primary and secondary education at the Chiang Kai Shek College in Manila and a bachelor’s degree in Export Management at the De La Salle College of St. Benilde.
After completing his college education, he built a career in the country and occupied various positions in different companies.
Chan currently owns and manages a diversified line of legitimate businesses that employ Filipinos, and has thus been contributing immensely to the Philippine economy.
He also organized the Love Plus Charity Foundation which has donated food, medical equipment, and other necessary items to frontliners and various hospitals in the country since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Love Plus Charity Foundation was also one of the first organizations to provide food, water and other assistance to affected families when the Pandacan Church caught fire in July 2020.
Special working day in Aurora
Republic Act (RA) No. 11799, a measure declaring April 28 of every year as a special working holiday in the province of Aurora to commemorate the death anniversary of the country’s 1st First Lady Doña Aurora Aragon-Quezon, the wife of President Manuel Luis Quezon, has lapsed into law.
"The local government of the Province of Aurora shall plan and implement appropriate ceremonies for the annual observance of the death anniversary of Doña Aurora Aragon-Quezon," the law read.
According to the website of the province of Aurora, Aragon-Quezon stayed in the background during her husband’s political life, involving herself with women’s organizations such as the National Federation of Women’s Clubs, of which she was honorary chairperson.
She was very active in the campaign to give Filipino women the right to vote, which was achieved in 1937.
Aragon-Quezon also devoted her time to humanitarian work in her nine years as First Lady by volunteering as a nurse in the Red Cross.
In 1947, the Philippine National Red Cross was established as an independent Red Cross organization, and she became the first Chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, holding the position until she died in 1949.
On April 28, 1949 as she was on her way to inaugurate the Quezon Memorial Hospital in her home town of Baler, Aurora Quezon, her eldest daughter Maria Aurora, son-in-law Felipe Buencamino III, Quezon City Mayor Ponciano Bernardo and several others were ambushed and killed by renegade members of the Hukbalahap, in Bongabong, Nueva Ecija.
The province of Aurora was named in her memory.
Meanwhile, the following bills converting, establishing, and integrating schools across the country also lapsed into laws:
*RA 11787 converts the Pinamungajan Extension Campus of the Cebu Technological University (CTU) in the municipality of Pinamungajan, province of Cebu, into a regular campus of the CTU, to be known as the CTU-Pinamungajan Campus
*RA 11788 establishes campuses of the Cebu Technological University in the city of Toledo and in the municipality of Asturias, Province of Cebu, to be known respectively as the Cebu Technological University-Toledo City Campus and the Cebu Technological University-Asturias Campus
*RA 11800 integrates the Consolacion Community College in the Municipality of Consolacion, Province of Cebu into the Cebu Technological University (CTU), to be known as the CTU-Consolacion Campus
Four bills converting or establishing extension offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) also lapsed into law on May 29. These are:
*RA 11789 converts the extension office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the second district of the province of Bohol into a Class C LTO district office
*RA 11790 establishes an extension office of the Regional Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (RLTFRB) in Puerto Princesa City, Province of Palawan
*RA 11791 converts the satellite office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) located in the Municipality of Tanay, Province of Rizal into a regular LTO district office
*RA 11792 establishes a regular district office of the LTO in the Municipality of Calamba, Province of Misamis Occidental
Two bills renaming and naming bridges also lapsed into law on June 2, namely RA 11827, which renames the Lobog Bridge, in the Municipality of Plaridel, Province of Misamis Occidental, as Alfonso Burlat Apdujan Bridge and RA 11828 naming the first Cebu-Mactain Bridge at A.C. Cortes Avenue in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City up to the Mandaue-Mactan Road in Barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City, both in the Province of Cebu as Serging Veloso Osmeña Jr. Bridge.
RA 11825, which, expands the coverage of the Foundation Days and Feast Days as special non-working public holidays in the province of Davao Oriental to include cities, municipalities, and barangays also lapsed into law on June 2. (PNA)
