How Arci Muñoz began her journey toward Spanish citizenship
Actress Arci Muñoz has reconnected with her Spanish roots.
At a recent press conference hosted by Muñoz's talent management agency Cornerstone Entertainment, Muñoz shared how she finally obtained her Spanish passport and became a Spanish citizen.
According to her, since her late father was Spanish and held a passport from his home country, she was eligible to apply for citizenship herself.
"Nagkaroon ng amnesty 'yung Spain. So...merong mga families, or kung may apelyido ka na Spanish—my dad's Spanish, eh. So he has a Spanish passport. So before he passed away, my sister was like...'Ano'ng gagawin natin? Sayang naman if we're not gonna avail it," Muñoz told media.
Deciding to go for it, Muñoz traveled to Spain, where she learned that her paternal grandparents were from Andalusia, in the southern region of Spain.
"Nalaman ko na we really have a family there. My aunt lives there. She lives in Barcelona. We have a place there. So 'yun, nalaman ko na taga-Andalusia 'yung lola ko," she said.
"And may street pa doon, Muñoz," the actress added, pronouncing her last name the Spanish way, "Muñoth."
Obtaining the passport was one thing; gaining citizenship was another. One of the Spanish government's requirements for citizenship applicants is to learn the country's language. The actress, who was already learning two other foreign languages, willingly jumped in.
"Sabi sa akin pagkuha ko nu'ng passport ko, 'Make an effort to learn the language,'" Muñoz said.
"Sabi ko, 'I am, I am.' But in my head, I'm like, I'm studying Korean right now kasi nga gagawa ako ng Kumusta," she said, referring to the Korean culinary reality series. "Tapos favorite ko naman, animé, kaya nag-aaral din ako mag-Japanese."
Her language efforts paid off, however, when she discovered during her time in Spain that she understood the locals when they spoke in their native tongue.
"Pagdating ko doon, parang pagkausap ko na sila, naiintindihan ko na," she said. "Ano pala 'yan, overwhelming."
Curiously, it wasn't her Spanish ancestry but the June 2026 BTS concert in Madrid that brought Muñoz to Spain.
"Kahit na from Spain ang Papa, parang wala akong trip na pumunta ng Spain. Paano ko gagawin? Ano'ng gagawin ko doon? Eh, nagka-BTS concert," said Muñoz, who otherwise visits Europe yearly for work.
Muñoz did not share when her citizenship would be finalized.
Under the Ley de Nietos, or "Grandchildren's Law," Filipinos could be eligible for Spanish citizenship, even if their Spanish roots trace back to their great-grandparents.
This law, enacted in October 2022, particularly benefits citizens from nations with strong historical ties to Spain, such as Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Portugal, and the Philippines. It, however, ended in late 2025.
