THANK YOU MADAM PRESIDENT, THANK YOU DISTINGUISHED ACTING MAJORITY LEADER, AND TO OUR DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES, I RISE TODAY – WITH THE PERMISSION OF OUR COLLEAGUES, FOR AN OMNIBUS SPONSORSHIP OF TWO COMMITTEE REPORTS: COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 61, IN CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE BILL NO. 6639 GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO BENNIE FRANCOIS BOATWRIGHT III, AND COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 62, IN CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE BILL NO. 6644 GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO MATTHEW JAMES RAMOS.
THESE MEASURES CORRESPOND TO SENATE BILL NO. 1595, AUTHORED BY SENATE PRESIDENT ALAN PETER CAYETANO, SENATOR PIA CAYETANO, AND SENATOR BONG GO, GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO BENNIE BOATWRIGHT; AND SENATE BILL NO. 1613, AUTHORED BY SENATOR BONG GO, GRANTING PHILIPPINE CITIZENSHIP TO MATTHEW JAMES RAMOS.
MATTHEW AND BENNIE ARE WORLD-CLASS ATHLETES WHO, DESPITE THE MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND PATHS AVAILABLE TO THEM ELSEWHERE, HAVE CHOSEN TO CAST THEIR LOT WITH THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.
PINILI NILA HINDI LANG LUMABAN PARA SA BANDILA NATIN, PINILI RIN NILANG MAGING BAHAGI NG ATING KWENTO BILANG ISANG BANSA.
MATTHEW JAMES RAMOS IS A DECORATED WRESTLER AND A PROUD SON OF A FILIPINO-PANGASINENSE FATHER, CRESENTE HOLANDAY RAMOS.
KAHIT NA IPINANGANAK AT PINALAKI SA ESTADOS UNIDOS, PINILI NI MATTHEW NA BIGYANG-KARANGALAN ANG KANYANG MGA NINUNO HINDI LANG SA SALITA, KUNG HINDI SA SAKRIPISYO, SA PANININDIGAN, AT SA SERBISYO SA PHILIPPINE SPORTS.
AT THE HEIGHT OF A PROMISING WRESTLING CAREER IN THE UNITED STATES, MATTHEW MADE THE LIFE-CHANGING DECISION TO REPRESENT THE PHILIPPINES IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND HELP ELEVATE THE SPORT OF WRESTLING IN OUR COUNTRY.
AMONG HIS OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
MATTHEW WAS RUNNER-UP IN THE 2023 N.C.A.A. CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WAS HAILED AS PURDUE UNIVERSITY’S 60TH ALL-AMERICAN. HE IS A TWO-TIME N.C.A.A. QUALIFIER AND A TWO-TIME BIG TEN PLACEWINNER — FINISHING SEVENTH IN 2022 AND THIRD IN 2023. HE BECAME THE 2022 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION IN THE 57-KILOGRAM CATEGORY AND REACHED THE N.C.A.A. CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND OF 12 IN THE 133-POUND DIVISION THAT SAME YEAR.
HE WAS ALSO A TWO-TIME N.W.C.A. (NATIONAL WRESTLING COACHES ASSOCIATION) SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICAN AND, AT A YOUNG AGE, CAPTURED THE 2018 CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE 51-KILOGRAM CATEGORY.
HE WAS RANKED AMONG THE TOP WRESTLING RECRUITS IN THE UNITED STATES BY FLOWRESTLING, INTERMAT, AND THE OPEN MAT.
YET DESPITE THESE ACCOLADES AND THE MANY DOORS OPEN TO HIM IN AMERICA, MATTHEW RAMOS CHOSE THE PHILIPPINES.
HE EMBRACED NOT ONLY OUR FOOD — FROM ADOBO, TO DINUGUAN, AND TO BALUT — IF YOU ARE ABLE TO EAT BALUT, YOU ARE VERY VERY FILIPINO IN THAT SENSE. BUT ALSO THE DEEPER VALUES THAT DEFINE US AS A PEOPLE: RESPECT FOR ELDERS THROUGH “PO” AND “OPO,” THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY. DURING THE HEARING, I THINK 6 OR 7 OR 8 OF HIS FAMILY MEMBERS AND HIS FIANCE OR HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS THERE, AND HE BROUGHT THE WARMTH OF THE FILIPINO SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY.
LIKE ADOBO, WHICH IS COOKED DIFFERENTLY IN EVERY REGION OF THE COUNTRY, BEING FILIPINO COMES IN MANY FORMS.
BUT WHETHER IN COOKING, IN SPORTS, OR IN NATIONHOOD, WHAT MATTERS MOST IS THE HEART, ANG PUSO.
AND FOR MATTHEW RAMOS, BECOMING FILIPINO IS ALREADY IN HIS HEART.
HE WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND TODAY’S SPONSORSHIP SPEECH, MR. PRESIDENT BUT HE WAS ACTUALLY HERE LAST WEEK WHEN WE WERE SCHEDULED TO SPONSOR IT LAST WEEK. HE HAD TO GO BACK TO THE UNITED STATES FOR A COMPETITION BUT HE IS COMMITTED TO COMING BACK WHEN WE PASS THIS MEASURE IN PLENARY.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE BENNIE FRANCOIS BOATWRIGHT THE THIRD, A 27-YEAR-OLD BASKETBALL PLAYER FROM LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, WHOSE TALENT AND LEADERSHIP HAVE ALREADY INSPIRED COUNTLESS FILIPINO BASKETBALL FANS.
BENNIE FRANCOIS BOATWRIGHT IS HERE WITH US IN THE GALLERY. STANDING AT 6 FEET 10 INCHES, BENNIE JOINED THE SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN IN DECEMBER 2023 AS THE TEAM’S IMPORT FOR THE P.B.A. COMMISSIONER’S CUP. HE PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN LEADING THE BEERMEN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP, DELIVERING 19 POINTS, 13 REBOUNDS, AND EIGHT ASSISTS IN THE TITLE-CLINCHING GAME SIX.
BUT BEYOND HIS ATHLETIC ABILITY, BENNIE UNDERSTANDS SOMETHING DEEPLY FAMILIAR TO FILIPINOS: THAT BASKETBALL IS NEVER ABOUT ONE PERSON ALONE. IT IS ABOUT TRUST, SACRIFICE, AND TEAMWORK.
THAT SPIRIT MIRRORS OUR OWN BAYANIHAN TRADITION — THE BELIEF THAT PEOPLE ACHIEVE GREATNESS WHEN THEY LIFT ONE ANOTHER UP.
BY EMBRACING THE PHILIPPINES AND CHOOSING TO STAND WITH FILIPINO ATHLETES, BENNIE BOATWRIGHT STRENGTHENS NOT ONLY OUR BASKETBALL PROGRAM, BUT ALSO OUR HOPES OF EXCELLING ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE, DEFENDING OUR ASIAN GAMES TITLE, AND ONE DAY RETURNING TO THE OLYMPICS.
IN RECOGNIZING THE SINCERE DESIRE OF MATTHEW JAMES RAMOS AND BENNIE FRANCOIS BOATWRIGHT THE THIRD TO BECOME FILIPINOS, THESE BILLS SEEK TO HONOR NOT ONLY THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AS ATHLETES, BUT ALSO THEIR GENUINE COMMITMENT TO OUR PEOPLE, OUR CULTURE, AND OUR NATION.
FOR CITIZENSHIP IS NOT DEFINED SOLELY BY JUS SOLI — MEANING, RIGHT BY BIRTHPLACE, OR JUS SANGUINIS — RIGHT BY BLOOD. AS PEOPLE HAVE MOVED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME, CITIZENSHIP IS ALSO DEFINED— BY RIGHT, BY CHOICE. CITIZENSHIP IS ALSO DEFINED BY CHOOSING TO CARRY THE PHILIPPINE FLAG WITH PRIDE AND HONOR BEFORE THE WORLD. MABUHAY ANG PINIPILI ANG PILIPINAS. MABUHAY ANG NAGMAMAHAL SA PILIPINAS. MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS.##