Marriage among Filipinos is synonymous to SACRIFICE, especially to women. More often, battered wives suffer in silence for fear of being ostracized. Male egoism is so high in the Philippine society that failed marriage is attributed mostly to women. And as religion plays a big role in the Philippine culture, it is common for couples to continue living together despite their failed marriage to keep up with the doctrine that "what God has put together, let no man shall separate them." Women rights and gender equality are purportedly high in the Philippines; however, getting out from failed marriage is a tedious and expensive process. The absence of divorce left the aggrieved party to opt for either legal separation or filing of annulment case. Legal separation, does not, however, allow the parties to remarry. Anyone who remarries and whose marriage has not been annulled, although legally separated, can be charged with bigamy. The annulment process, on the other hand, has difficult grounds before the marriage is declared null and void. (http://jlp-law.com/blog/annulment-divorce-legal-separation-in-the-philippines-questions-and-answers/) The only predominantly-Catholic nation in Asia, divorce, mixed marriage, abortion and even the use of contraceptive are among the social issues which the church actively campaign against with. Several times, bills and legislation calling for the adoption of divorce has been blocked and failed to pass at both, the upper and the lower houses. The church has so much influence to the Filipino people that even the politicians shy away from supporting the bills and legislations on divorce for fear that they will lose their votes on election times. With the absence of a clear law that will free couples from the bondage of their failed marriage, they, particularly the financially unlucky, are locked in their dilemma to hold on to their marriage or leave their spouses, find a new partner and live in “sin.” This situation leads me to the question, should divorce be adopted in the Philippines, could it be called a social revolution or moral degradation? My 18-year-old son says it is social revolution and I agree. What do you think?
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AuthorA mother, an aunt, a sister and a friend, they embody Archives
February 2014
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