Motion: This House Believes That Marriage Should Have Expiration

Outline
I.

Definitions
A. Marriage
1. Marriage is a practice that has existed in most societies around the world for an
incredibly long time. It is, traditionally, the union between a man and woman in both a
religious and a legal sense. Marriage offers a stable relationship that is recognized by
the state and by whatever religion the couples choose to follow, as well as providing
a good environment in which to raise children.
2. Marriages arent like fine wines. They do not always get better with age.
B. Expiration
1. According to the dictionary reference, it is a coming to an end; termination; or
close of something.

II.

Points
A. Divorce and Annulment
1. Divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body. It is
legal in most of the countries.
Most common reasons for divorce:
a. Cheating
b. Dishonesty
c. Addictions
d. Abuse
e. Major changes in priorities
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/divorce-causes-5marriage_n_2785438.html
2. Annulment is the invalidation of marriage. It is affected by means of a declaration
stating that the marriage was never valid. This is allowed and legal in our country,
Philippines, but it is most costly and lengthy. Not all can afford to go through this
process.
B. Renewable Marriage Bill
1. Philippine womens party list 1-ABAA once proposed a law that would put a ten-year
expiration date on marriage contracts.
2. This I believe will help those who are in a family crisis and cannot afford the cost of
an annulment.
3. This will also prevent childrens psychological thinking when they see their parents
constantly fighting between some things while they grow up.
4. It will help women, who are physically and emotionally abused, to not endure their
suffering for a long time just because they have responsibilities as parents to their
children. At the very least their children wouldnt think that their parents separated,
they would know that there are expirations of contracts and so less children would be
a part of a broken family.

Motion: This House Believes That Marriage Should Have Expiration

First Speech
Good Morning!
Our Catholic-dominated country gives significance most to the bond and the values we get in the
perimeter of our loved families. We all know that any romantic relationship is based on mutual love, trust,
confidence and commitment. Marriage is a sacred thing that we traditionally believed in the vows Till
death do us part, but what if things dont work like we all are expecting?
As we have searched through the wide range of social networking sites, marriage is an institution
that has existed in most societies around the world for an incredibly long time. It is a socially or ritually
recognized union or legal contract between spouses that establishes rights and obligations between
them, between them and their children, and between them and their in-laws. And as the saying goes,
marriage unlike wines does not always get better with age. Divorce as we all know is not an option in the
Philippines, thus leaving Filipino couples annulment as a choice. Because the cost of divorce is so
expensive and majority of the Filipinos could not afford it, the option of having the marriage renewed or
the idea of marriage having expiration would definitely relieves both party of the cost that legal separation
may inflict. Expiration, in the dictionary reference, would mean: coming to an end; termination; or close of
something.
Since many Filipinos believe on love at first sight, in the event that the marriage didnt work out,
they have the rights and freedom to choose whether or not to continue their marriage. In particular, the
womens party list 1-Babae Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA), which represents separated and abandoned
women, proposed the enactment of a law that would mandate a 10-year limit on the validity of a marriage
contract, which is the Renewable Marriage Bill. This, as is purpose stated in the proposed bill, would
spare incompatible couples the expense of lengthy legal proceedings before their marriages are annulled.
This, we believe, will help unfortunate couples who are facing family crisis, more often than the
normal families have, to invalidate their marriage the least costly way. This would also help women who
are physically, emotionally and verbally abused to not endure their distress for as long as the vow may
continue. This might as well, lessen the burden of those parents worrying about the criticism their children
might go through if they undergo the annulment processes.