MANILA, Philippines - After almost two months of fighting for her crown, Maria Venus Raj can now regain her title as Binibining Pilipinas-Universe after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) finally issued a Philippine passport under her name.

Raj is set to compete in the upcoming Miss Universe 2010 pageant in Las Vegas on October 31. 

The DFA issued a passport to Raj on Wednesday (May 12) based on the evaluation of an ad hoc committee saying that "she is a Filipino citizen."

DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said the ad hoc committee created by the DFA to evaluate the birth certificate and documents Raj submitted for her passport application presented its findings to the DFA Office of Consular Affairs and recommended the issuance of a passport to her.

"The committee stated that on the basis of documents presented by Ms. Maria Venus, it is well-established that she was born to a Filipina mother, and following the jus sanguinis rule on matters of citizenship acquisition, she is a Filipino citizen who is entitled to a Philippine passport," Malaya told ABS-CBN News.

The DFA said that Raj would go through the regular process of applying for a passport.

Raj was stripped of her crown by the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc., organizer of the Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant, last March 29 due to the citizenship issue.

For a few days, Raj was replaced by Bb. Pilipinas 1st runner-up Helen Nicolette Henson.

The BPCI decision created an uproar among Filipino supporters of Raj, encouraging her to fight for her title. On April 10, the BPCI reversed its decision and allowed Raj to reclaim her crown if she could obtain a Philippine passport.