NONITO DONAIRE JR. became a dual citizen after the former multi-division world boxing champion got his Philippine passport after taking his Oath of Allegiance at the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco last August 14.
That meant Donaire, who turned pro after his failed bid to make the US team to the Sydney 2000 Olympics, competed and won one professional world boxing titles after another as a full-blooded Filipino under the country’s colors sans an important document, a Philippine passport.
“I am very proud and whole now that I have my Philippine citizenship,” Donaire said in a press release from the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco. “Being Bohol-born, for years I have tried to get my citizenship but I was always missing a paper.”
The consulate didn’t specify the “missing paper” but some camps surmise it could be an original copy of his birth certificate.
“With my mom’s [Imelda] help, I was able to complete my package of requirements for me to get my citizenship here at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco,” added the 40-year-old four-division world champion who owns a 42-8 win-loss record with 28 knockouts.
“On behalf of Consul General Neil Ferrer, I congratulate Mr. Nonito Donaire for reacquiring his Philippine citizenship,” Deputy Consul General Raquel Solano said. “The Filipino nation is very proud of his achievements in boxing and are happy to welcome him back as a Filipino citizen.”
“We wish him well in his future endeavors, especially in his and his wife’s social initiatives to help our kababayans in the Philippines,” Solano added.
Donaire was accompanied by his wife Rachel and sons Jarel and Logan, who also became dual citizens as his derivatives. They became citizens under Republic Act No. 9225.
The Donaires met Solano, Consuls Jed Llona and Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil and Vice Consul Adrian Baccay during the ceremony.
The couple shared their social initiatives in the Philippines, including building typhoon-resilient homes, setting-up sustainable waste management systems and installing water filtration systems in rural communities.
Former natural-born Filipinos who were subsequently naturalized as US citizens may apply for dual citizenship under Republic Act No. 9225, according to the consulate.
Donaire arrived in the US as an 11-year-old in 1993 and was already a US citizen when he started boxing as an amateur in 1998. He vied for a berth on the US boxing team to the Sydney Olympics but lost the spot to Brian Viloria, also a Filipino-American who would eventually fight as a pro, and win a world title, as a Filipino.
“Aside from being able to give pride to my roots, my citizenship will allow me to stay in the Philippines longer and create change and growth for Filipinos throughout economical sociological and environmental projects through action,” Donaire said.
He last fought last July 29 but lost to Alexandro Santiago of Mexico for the World Boxing Council bantamweight belt.
Donaire, who owns the record as the oldest world bantamweight champion at 38, is not declaring if he’s retiring from boxing.
Donaire gets PHL passport after all these years
Source: News Paper Radio
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