Filipino-American wrestler Matt Ramos takes Philippine oath of allegiance at the Chicago consulate
Filipino-American wrestler Matthew James Ramos swore allegiance to the Philippines at the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago after Republic Act No. 12324 granted him Philippine citizenship; the oath still has to be registered with the Bureau of Immigration before his naturalization is complete.
Filipino-American wrestler Matthew James Ramos has sworn allegiance to the Philippines at the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago, FASTBREAK.COM.PH reported, taking another step toward representing the country in international competition.
The oath follows Republic Act No. 12324, which grants Ramos Philippine citizenship. The measure lapsed into law in August 2026 without the signature of the President, according to the text of the Act.
What still has to happen
The oath is not the final step. Under the Act, Ramos's Oath of Allegiance must be registered with the Bureau of Immigration, which then issues him a Certificate of Naturalization. Only on that registration does he "enter into the full enjoyment of Philippine citizenship", the law says.
FASTBREAK said his potential national team debut will depend on completing the remaining citizenship procedures and applicable eligibility requirements.
A decorated college career
Purdue University's athletics website describes Ramos as the program's 12th two-time All-American and a native of Lockport, Illinois. His listed career highlights include:
- 2023 NCAA runner-up at 125 lbs
- 2025 NCAA fourth place at 125 lbs
- 2022 U.S. Open champion at 57 kg
- 2018 Cadet World champion at 51 kg
In the 2023 NCAA semifinals he pinned Iowa's three-time national champion Spencer Lee, a result Purdue says is considered by many to be the greatest upset in college wrestling history.
Ramos joined the Purdue wrestling staff as an assistant coach in June 2025 and became the program's director of player personnel in September 2026, a move Purdue says gives him more flexibility to keep training for the Olympics and World Championships.
Eyes on Los Angeles 2028
FASTBREAK reported that Ramos traces his Filipino ancestry to his father's side of the family, from Basista, Pangasinan. Purdue says he continues to train with the goal of competing for his family's native Philippines at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and FASTBREAK said he could bolster the Philippine national wrestling team for upcoming Asian and world competitions.
Read the web like we doTurn any page into clean, ready-to-use data with FirecrawlKey facts
- Filipino-American wrestler Matthew James Ramos took his oath of allegiance to the Philippines at the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago, FASTBREAK.COM.PH reported.
- Republic Act No. 12324 grants Ramos Philippine citizenship; it lapsed into law in August 2026 without the President's signature.
- Under the Act, the oath must be registered with the Bureau of Immigration, which then issues a Certificate of Naturalization.
- Purdue lists Ramos as a two-time All-American, 2023 NCAA runner-up at 125 lbs and 2018 Cadet World champion; he is now Purdue wrestling's director of player personnel.
- Purdue says Ramos trains with the goal of competing for the Philippines at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Official sources
Kislap reports this story for general information only. Nothing here is immigration, legal, financial, tax, medical, employment, or other professional advice; check official sources and speak with a qualified professional before acting.