With the refiling of the Divorce Bill, there have been talks about why it should or shouldn’t be legalized in the Philippines. Being a predominantly Catholic country, the Divorce Bill gained strong opposition from the Church and its members.
Well, the Divorce Bill has been refiled by Senator Risa Hontiveros, and she says that the 17th Congress was languished at the committee level.
So, what would this mean for the Philippines and its citizens if the Divorce Bill were legalized?
Separated couples are common in the Philippines. Despite being married by church and state, there are many couples that choose to go their separate ways anyway. For now, there is no legal way to dissolve the union. According to Sen. Hontiveros, this bill aims to consider physical violence as one of the legal grounds for divorce.
Aside from the Vatican, the Philippines is the only country in the world that doesn’t have a Divorce Bill. We do, however, have an annulment of marriages. Annulment is a legal battle that can nullify a marriage due to psychological incapacity, mistaken identity, and being underage, just to name a few reasons. This is ineffective because the legal battle is usually really expensive.
The Divorce Bill, on the other hand, states that some grounds can be physical abuse, “grossly abusive conduct”, psychological incapacity, irreconcilable marital differences despite efforts to reconcile, marital rape, and separation for at least five years, among others.
Divorce is something that could make the lives of the Filipinos better. How? The quality of life of separated couples can be improved if they can be free from relationships that have failed, or that involve abuse.
Marital rape, though not discussed openly, is common in the Philippines. Though many still say that two people in a relationship cannot experience rape, rape is completely possible in that scenario. Rape happens when there is no consent from the other adult, whether or not the two are in a relationship or not. This is one way divorce can save the abused.
When the refiling of the Divorce Bill was announced, many were quick to comment that it would ruin the sanctity of marriage. These comments sparked outrage because the bill was not made to ruin relationships, but to give individuals the choice to opt out of circumstances that are not healthy for their wellbeing.
One of my friends has already been separated from her husband for more than nine years. They are both in relationships with other people now, but don’t have the legal capacity to name their children according to their new partners because they are still legally married to each other. The Divorce Bill will also help individuals start anew and try to build their own families again.
Another friend of mine has been married by state, but not by church. He was worried about not being able to nullify the marriage because the church is against it, which he was not married by.
Though the Divorce Bill is still under review, there are many inputs and concerns about how it could affect society.
What about you? What do you think of the Divorce Bill? Should it be legalized in the Philippines?
Sky Gavin is a five-foot tall momma who is the COO of wheninmanila.com. She owns a PR and Marketing agency called AO and a jungle escape called Hanan Cabins.
She still jumps during New Years eve in hopes of becoming a little taller.
What If Divorce Were Legal in the Philippines?
With the refiling of the Divorce Bill, there have been talks about why it should or shouldn’t be legalized in the Philippines. Being a predominantly Catholic country, the Divorce Bill gained strong opposition from the Church and its members.
Well, the Divorce Bill has been refiled by Senator Risa Hontiveros, and she says that the 17th Congress was languished at the committee level.
So, what would this mean for the Philippines and its citizens if the Divorce Bill were legalized?
Separated couples are common in the Philippines. Despite being married by church and state, there are many couples that choose to go their separate ways anyway. For now, there is no legal way to dissolve the union. According to Sen. Hontiveros, this bill aims to consider physical violence as one of the legal grounds for divorce.
Aside from the Vatican, the Philippines is the only country in the world that doesn’t have a Divorce Bill. We do, however, have an annulment of marriages. Annulment is a legal battle that can nullify a marriage due to psychological incapacity, mistaken identity, and being underage, just to name a few reasons. This is ineffective because the legal battle is usually really expensive.
The Divorce Bill, on the other hand, states that some grounds can be physical abuse, “grossly abusive conduct”, psychological incapacity, irreconcilable marital differences despite efforts to reconcile, marital rape, and separation for at least five years, among others.
Divorce is something that could make the lives of the Filipinos better. How? The quality of life of separated couples can be improved if they can be free from relationships that have failed, or that involve abuse.
Marital rape, though not discussed openly, is common in the Philippines. Though many still say that two people in a relationship cannot experience rape, rape is completely possible in that scenario. Rape happens when there is no consent from the other adult, whether or not the two are in a relationship or not. This is one way divorce can save the abused.
When the refiling of the Divorce Bill was announced, many were quick to comment that it would ruin the sanctity of marriage. These comments sparked outrage because the bill was not made to ruin relationships, but to give individuals the choice to opt out of circumstances that are not healthy for their wellbeing.
One of my friends has already been separated from her husband for more than nine years. They are both in relationships with other people now, but don’t have the legal capacity to name their children according to their new partners because they are still legally married to each other. The Divorce Bill will also help individuals start anew and try to build their own families again.
Another friend of mine has been married by state, but not by church. He was worried about not being able to nullify the marriage because the church is against it, which he was not married by.
Though the Divorce Bill is still under review, there are many inputs and concerns about how it could affect society.
What about you? What do you think of the Divorce Bill? Should it be legalized in the Philippines?
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About The Author
Sky Gavin is a five-foot tall momma who is the COO of wheninmanila.com. She owns a PR and Marketing agency called AO and a jungle escape called Hanan Cabins. She still jumps during New Years eve in hopes of becoming a little taller.