Marriage is easy, but divorce is impossible. The Philippines is the only country besides the Vatican that does not allow divorce. An attempt at reform is intended to change that, but has little chance of success.
At the age of 41, April Tadios from Manila wishes nothing more than to finally get a divorce. Legally this is not allowed in your country, the Philippines. She has been separated from her husband for eight years.
She has to take care of her 15-year-old daughter alone. Because no divorce, that also means no maintenance. “I’m afraid that I won’t be able to give my daughter everything she needs,” says Tadios through tears. “If she asks me for something, I’ll say, ‘Be patient, we can’t afford it right now, we don’t have any money right now.'”
“We don’t have to be like other countries”
What God joins together, man must not separate: This sentence from the New Testament also applies in the Philippines before the law. For Father Jerome Secillano of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, divorce is not the appropriate way to resolve relationship problems:
“We don’t have to be like other countries. In fact, we should be proud that we stick to it. That we protect marriage as an institution. So no to divorce.”
The conservative understanding of marriage as an everlasting covenant continues to prevail in the Philippines.
Traditional moral values especially outside of the cities
The influence of Catholic teaching is great in the Philippines. 80 percent of the residents are Roman Catholic, and the vast majority of them also practice it. Thus, the conservative understanding of marriage as an eternal covenant is still dominant in the country, which was shaped by the time as a colony of Spain and its Catholic kings.
Surveys show that the younger generation sees the topic in an increasingly different way. But above all outside of the big cities, traditional moral concepts continue to dominate. Even if they often do not correspond to reality, because there are also separations in the Philippines, just not before the law.
Cancellation possible, but expensive
Church and state only accept annulment as a way out of a marriage once it has been concluded. The marriage then never existed on paper. A lengthy process that only the wealthy can afford.
Strange and tragic at the same time: There are different regulations in the Philippines. Divorce is permitted for the minority of Muslims as it is compatible with their faith. Catholics, on the other hand, do not have this option.
Nevertheless, the enthusiasm for the marriage seems unbroken for most of them. After the end of the corona-related lockdown, mass weddings even took place in the spring. The reason for this lies not only in tradition. For young people, marriage represents the path to a self-determined life. Couples are usually not socially accepted until they get married.
Mass weddings are a common form of marriage in the Philippines – after the end of Corona this tradition is revived.
change attempts ran into emptiness
Many attempts to introduce modern divorce law have failed. For a long time, those in government saw no need for action, probably also in order not to alienate the powerful opponents of divorce.
The Philippine House of Representatives passed a bill in 2018. But the Senate, the upper house of the Philippine Congress, made no progress. The attempt came to nothing.
Especially women who are abused or abandoned need help, explain those who want to change the divorce law in the Philippines.
Women in particular are often in dire straits
Veteran Liberal MP Edcel Lagman is working tirelessly on a remake. For his new draft law, he hopes that the two chambers of parliament and the president will agree: “Many people have to suffer terrible suffering. Especially women who are abused or abandoned. We have to help those who are in need.”
Lagman is optimistic that the reform will succeed during the current legislative period. When the responsible committee in the House of Representatives gave the green light for the historic reform in the spring, the Liberal rejoiced: “The Philippines are on the verge of catching up with the other nations.”
But nothing will change without the approval of the House of Lords. How the mostly pro-government senators will position themselves is still unclear.
April Tadios, who lives separately, must therefore continue to wait. The happiest day of her life – it would not be the wedding, but the divorce.