The Philippines is still one of only two nations in the world where divorce is illegal, but it turns out a majority of Filipinos think its time to make it available for “irreconcilably separated couples,” a survey published on Friday reported.
Social Weather Stations (SWS), a local social research institution found that of the 1,200 adult Filipinos they surveyed in March and December 2017, 53 percent think couples who have been separated and cannot reconcile should be allowed to get divorced in order to remarry. 32 percent disagreed and 15 percent were undecided.
The found this by asking whether or not respondents agree with this statement: “Married couples who have already separated and cannot reconcile anymore should be allowed to divorce so that they can get legally married again.”
According to SWS, this means that the net agreement score of +21, computed by subtracting the percentage of those who agree with those that don’t, can be described as “moderately strong.”
The survey’s net agreement score was at “very strong” and “moderately strong” the last two times it was conducted in 2011 and 2014. When the survey was first conducted in 2005, the net agreement score was described as “neutral.”
Of those surveyed, more of those who have “live-in” partners, or are living with a partner they are not legally married to, are in support of divorce. The net support of women and men with live-in partners was described as “very strong” with a +44 and +37 rating respectively.
Even those who have never been married think divorce should be legalized. 54 percent of unmarried men and 55 percent of unmarried women surveyed agree that married couples with an irreconcilable relationship should be allowed to get divorced.
Despite the Catholic church’s stance against divorce, 54 percent of the Catholics surveyed also agree with the statement. Apart from the Vatican, the Philippines is the only other country in the world where divorce is illegal.
But even though most Filipinos think divorce should be legalized, it has been difficult to pass a law that will allow it.
Last month, the House of Representatives committee on population and family relations approved a bill that will legalize divorce but it has yet to be approved by congress and senate. And its not going to be easy.
The Catholic church, which remains influential in the country, said in a statement last month that divorce is “anti-marriage and anti-family.” At least five senators have also expressed their opposition to the bill.
In January, congress approved an easier annulment process that allows those already annulled by a religious institution to be annulled legally. However, even if this is enacted into law, it may not help a whole lot of people because the annulment process in religions like the Catholicism is often even more complicated and rigid.
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