Senate committee approves proposal to grant philanthropist Lizzie Zpbe de Ayala Filipino citizenship
The Senate Justice Committee on Tuesday approved the proposal to grant philanthropic citizenship to philanthropist Elizabeth “Lizzie” Eder Zobel De Ayala.
The panel, chaired by Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon, addressed Senate Bill 2221, drafted by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and House Citizenship Bill 9376 from Zobel de Ayala. .
Lizzie married Filipino businessman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala in June 1987 in his hometown of Cali, Colombia. Since August 1987, she has taken up residence in the Philippines.
Her four children: Marian, Jaime Alfonso, Eugenia and Mercedes and her two grandchildren, Vidal Augusto Zobel de Ayala Aboitiz and Luisa Aboitiz Zobel de Ayala, are all Filipino citizens.
Drilon said that in his nearly 24 years in the Senate, having introduced and approved bills granting Filipino citizenship to various prominent figures, few were as remarkable as Ayala.
He said Ayala had devoted her life to various socio-civic activities in the country since her marriage to Jaime Augusto Zobel De Ayala in 1987.
“The amazing thing about Lizzie, if I may call our nominee Lizzie, is that her privilege doesn’t make her rest in comfort, on the contrary, it pushes her to serve the larger community around her, inspiring and initiating change, restoring hope and helping to build a nation that she has adopted as her own, it is indeed a pleasure for me to have tabled the corresponding measure in the Senate, “said Drilon.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri said: “Behind a successful man is an even more prosperous woman. She has helped bring the country back to the forefront of child protection, education and much more. “
Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros cited Zobel de Ayala’s involvement in the Philippine Center for Population and Development, Teach for the Philippines, the Aklat Sisikat Foundation and the National Museum of the Philippines.
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, said he had the pleasure of working with Ms. Zobel de Ayala since she was the founder and director of “Teach for the Philippines”, a non-profit organization that recruits promising young leaders in the Philippines teach in public schools across the country.
Angara said he had partnered with Ms. Zobel de Ayala and the other directors of “Teach for the Philippines” in Casiguran, Aurora.
Hontiveros said: “Dear Lizzie, dear President, dear colleagues, this is indeed one of the very happy bills that we in the Senate are fortunate enough to finally hear and pass. Filipino at heart for a long, long time. “
