Divorce and the Philippines

After the successful enactment of the Reproductive Health Bill, a congressman from the Philippine Lower House has filed a bill that will effectively prevent the introduction of future divorce bills in the Philippines.

There is therefore the question, will the introduction of the divorce bill in the Philippines destroy marriage itself?

Marriage is an artificial phenomenon, created by and regulated by society in order to advance the interests of society itself and its future by ensuring that future generations are cared for properly and so as to transmit society's cultural values and mores. The question becomes clear: will the institution of marriage be destroyed by the introduction of divorce bills or later on, laws? I do not think so, for marriage exists as long as society itself values it. And the end of one marriage or marriages does not spell the end of marriage itself, for only the end of society will eventually end marriage itself. Marriage is relevant only so long as society and civilization thrive and consider it important.

Divorce will not destroy marriage. Indeed, what makes marriage a cross is when one two people are forced to maintain a facade of marriage simply because society says so. The inflexibility of such concept, especially in a supposedly secular and republican state like the Philippines, is that it is coupled with the religious tyranny of the Catholic Church. Insisting that marriage should be maintained, even to the point wherein the marriage itself becomes a source of suffering, abuse, unmitigated pain, even exploitation - is to tarnish the purpose of marriage itself, more than that, it is to disregard the best interests of the children of such marriage, and to doom them to a life of incalculable pain.

Divorce should be allowed because it is a human right! A right to find happiness, to the security of the children to have a good and better life. Most of all, divorce should be allowed in the Philippines because it is a fundamental societal institution - and to hostage it to some religious views is to ensure it will be robbed of its essential purpose of ensuring that all those who are invested in its success will fail!

Protecting marriage GOES BEYOND maintaining its physical form - we have also to look into whether its essence is still there. And that is something that requires flexibility, flexibility to think that sometimes, marriage between two people does not work, and it is only fair, reasonable and logical that it be terminated, and for life to move on. THAT IS LIFE.