Divorce in the Philippines: A much a waited law

Here in the Philippines, there are two ways to legally end a marriage- annulment and

legal separation. Annulment is a legal procedure that cancel a marriage between the two

people. It erases all the legally of the marriage by declaring that the marriage is never

technically exist. (https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/whats-the-legal-difference-between-

annulment-and-divorce) while Legal separation is the approval of the court in the separation of

husband and wife. The responsibility of a spouse and the property relations between the two

parties will legally end but the marriage bond is still not dissolved.

(https://lawyerphilippines.org/2017/04/03/legal-separation-in-the-philippines/). So why do we

still need to have a divorce here in our country if there are two ways to legally end a marriage?

The process in ending a marriage through annulment and legal separation will cost thousands

of Philippine pesos and will take a long time before it will be granted. In this paper, I will discuss

the practicality of having a divorce here in the Philippines and the pros and effect it can give to

us.

Procedure:

Problem:

Aside from the Vatican, the Philippines is the only country in the world that doesn’t

approve the legalization of divorce. The expected to this law are the Filipinos who have married

a foreigner and small population from our Muslim brothers. If this law is legal for them, why not
implement it to all to show that as a one country we have a uniform and solid laws that every

individual has an equal opportunity?

According to Benigno Aquino III, our past president who is a bachelor and a Roman

catholic, divorce is a “no-no” for him because he does not want the Philippines to become like

Las Vegas, where you can get a divorce right after you get married. If this is the problem, why

don’t we require the engaged couple to attend a seminar about marriage? This seminars should

requires several meetings to have a sufficient amount of time to educate the couple. With this

seminar the couple will have a better understanding in what they’re about to enter. This will

also help them prepare emotionally and mentally and will give them more time to think if they

are really ready for this type of commitment.

Another problem that the people see in divorce is it loses the “sanctity of marriage” in

fight to this the sanctity of the marriage is they say it de-Christianizing our country. Ever since

the Spaniards conquer us, we Filipinos becgjghvh. But other Christian country like

According to De Jesus “

so technically it’s like you are still married but just don’t live together. To avail this, the spouse

should file for a petition at the family court within 5 years of the occurrence of the ground for

legal separation. Some of the ground for legal separation are: repeated physical violence to the

petitioner or to their child, sexual infidelity, attempt on life and more than one year of

abandonment of petitioner by respondent without justifiable cause. These grounds should be

occurred during the marriage and does not exist before.

https://lawyerphilippines.org/2017/04/03/legal-separation-in-the-philippines/
Divorce does not exist in our country. However

http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/19/the-last-country-in-the-world-where-divorce-is-illegal-

philippines-catholic-church/

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/this-is-the-last-country-on-earth-where-

divorce-is-illegal/

http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-philippines-divorce-snap-story.htm