G.R. No. L-19845




Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila EN BANC G.R. No. L-19845 February 26, 1965 IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP. NESTORA EUFRACIA SONG SIONG HAY UY, petitioner-appellee, vs. REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, oppositor-appellant. Ceferino T. Ong and Simplicio J. Apao for petitioner-appellee. Office of the Solicitor General for oppositor-appellant. CONCEPCION, J.: This is an appeal taken by the Solicitor General from a decision of the Court of First Instance of Misamis Occidental, granting the application for naturalization of petitioner-appellee, Nestora Eufracia Song Siong Hay Uy. Appellant relies upon several grounds of which only one need be taken up for the disposition of the appeal. We refer to the question whether or not petitioner may be considered as having a lucrative trade or occupation. It is not disputed that she earns no more than P1,440.00 a year or P120.00 a month. Even if coupled with free board and lodging, such income is patently insufficient to be considered lucrative for purposes of naturalization. Although in 1953 we declared that a monthly salary of P80.00, plus board and lodging, sufficed for said purpose (Lim vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-4588, January 28, 1953), subsequent decisions, taking into account the considerable increase in the cost of living, have in effect, reversed the aforementioned ruling (Ong Ling Chuan vs. Republic, G.R. No. 18550, February 28, 1964; Koh Chet vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-17223, June 30, 1964; Quinga Chua vs. Republic. G.R. No. L-19695, October 31, 1964; Tse vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-19642, November 9, 1964; Tan vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-18242, December 24, 1963; Ong vs. Republic, G.R. No. L-15764, May 19, 1961). WHEREFORE, without passing upon other questions raised in the appeal, the decision appealed from is hereby reversed and appellee's petition dismissed, with costs against the petitioner. It is so ordered.1äwphï1.ñët Bengzon, C.J., Bautista Angelo, Reyes, J.B.L., Barrera, Paredes, Regala, Makalintal, Bengzon, J.P., and Zaldivar, JJ., concur. Dizon, J., took no part. The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation