Legalization of Divorce in the Philippines: A Step

Towards Progress

Aside from Vatican City, the Philippines is the only country in the world where divorce is
prohibited for all its citizens. This is owing to the influence of the Catholic Church, which has a
strong presence in the nation and has traditionally been opposed to divorce. Marriage, according
to the Catholic Church, is a sacrament and is indissoluble, which implies that once a couple is
married, they cannot be separated by anything other than death as what they promised in their
wedding vow “till death do us part.”

The Philippines has attempted to legalize divorce on several occasions in the past, despite
the Church's opposition. A bill allowing for divorce on grounds of incompatibility, abuse, and
other factors was approved by the House of Representatives in 2018. However, the bill failed to
be approved by the Senate and hence did not become law. In spite of this, advocates for its
legalization are still fighting for it in the Philippines' ongoing divorce issue.

Many people, who are divorce advocates in the Philippines contend that legalizing
divorce is vital to safeguard the rights of the Filipinos, particularly those of women and children.
Without divorce, unhappy or abusive spouses are imprisoned in a condition that is bad for their
physical and mental health. They have no other option than to stay together. By making divorce
legal, these people would have the opportunity to end a union that is not functioning, allowing
them to go on and start over.

The fact that legalizing divorce would make annulments less prevalent in the country is
an additional justification to do so. Many Filipinos seek annulment as an alternative to divorce,
which is a complicated and expensive judicial procedure that requires proving that the marriage
was invalid from its inception. Because of this, individuals who cannot afford it sometimes are
unable to apply for an annulment, leaving them imprisoned in an unhappy union. Divorce would
become easier and more economically feasible once it became legal than the existing procedures
in the country.

The need to bring the Philippines into compliance with international standards is the final
justification presented by advocates of legalizing divorce. The nation is out of step with the rest
of the world given that divorce is prohibited in one of just two countries worldwide. The
Philippines would become a more advanced and contemporary culture if divorce were legalized,
putting the country on line with other countries worldwide.

Although, opponents of legalizing divorce in the Philippines believe that it violates

traditional Filipino values and Catholic Church teachings. They contend that divorce would go
against the sacredness of marriage, which they view as an ordained relationship that must be
perpetuated at all costs. They argue that making divorce legal will encourage couples to end their
unions quickly and without attempting to resolve their issues.

Another argument in opposition is that legalizing divorce will result in more broken
families and have detrimental societal repercussions. Relationships with family members may
suffer as a result of divorce, which may be stressful for both spouses and their children. In
addition, the opposition thinks that legalizing divorce would have more negative effects than
positive ones and that efforts should instead be put toward fostering stronger families and
rapprochement.

Moreover, opponents of legalizing divorce claim that it is unnecessary since couples who
choose to split already have legal options. Legal separation, annulments, and declarations of the
nullity of marriage are some of these remedies. They say that before considering divorce, couples
should explore all of their choices and that legalizing divorce will simply make the choice of
individuals to end their marriages more straightforward.

In conclusion, there are many different sides to the argument in favor or against
legalizing divorce in the Philippines. Both sides of the issue present convincing arguments
whether it is for or against legalizing it, with advocates stating that doing so is important to
preserve the rights and well-being of the Filipinos and opposed claiming that it is incompatible
with traditional values and Catholic Church teachings. In the end, the decision as to whether the
Philippines agrees to legalize divorce will depend on how individuals such feel about it and how
open-minded these individuals are to change.