Survey Says... Half of Filipinos Support Legalizing Divorce

A recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey has revealed that half of adult Filipinos are in favor of legalizing divorce for couples who are "irreconcilably separated."

The survey, conducted from March 21 to 25, 2024, sought comments on the statement: "Married couples who have already separated and cannot reconcile anymore should be allowed to divorce so that they can get legally married again." According to the results, 28% of respondents strongly agreed, while 22% somewhat agreed. Conversely, 31% disagreed (12% somewhat disagreeing and 20% strongly disagreeing), and 17% remained undecided.

This gives a net agreement score of +19%, classified by SWS as "moderately strong." Although this is a decline from the moderately strong +27% in June 2023 and the very strong +44% in March 2023, it still indicates substantial support for divorce legalization among the Filipino population.

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The poll was carried out two months before the House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 9349, or “An Act Reinstituting Absolute Divorce as an Alternative Mode for the Dissolution of Marriage.” Before this is passed into law, the proposal must also be approved in the Senate, and signed by the president. 

Divorce In The Philippines: Where Filipinos Stand Over The Years

Support for divorce legalization has fluctuated over the years. In May 2005, SWS first surveyed this issue, finding the public split with 43% in favor and 45% opposed, resulting in a neutral net agreement score of -2%. Over the years, support grew, reaching a very strong +31% in December 2014. Despite a decline to moderately strong levels from 2015 to 2019 and a neutral stance in September 2021, support peaked at a very strong +44% in March 2023 before its recent decline.

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Men Or Women: Who’s Saying Yes to Divorce?

The March 2024 survey dives deep into who supports divorce legalization:

• Relationship Status: Those with live-in partners are leading the charge with very strong net agreement scores (+40 for men and +39 for women). Support is also strong among widowed/separated women (+23), men who have never married (+20), women who have never married (+18), widowed/separated men (+12), married women (+12), and married men (+10).
• Geography: Metro Manila tops the list with a very strong +40 net agreement. Balance Luzon and the Visayas follow with moderately strong +20 each, while Mindanao shows a neutral stance at +2.
• Religious Groups: Other Christians (+21), Catholics (+20), and Muslims (+11) show moderately strong support. However, Iglesia ni Cristo members are not on board, showing a moderately weak net agreement of -10.

Progress in Philippines’ Divorce Bill: House Bill 9349

The House of Representatives on May 22 approved House Bill No. 9349, or “An Act Reinstituting Absolute Divorce as an Alternative Mode for the Dissolution of Marriage.” Exactly 131 lawmakers pushed for its approval, while 109 refused to approve the proposal legislation. Twenty lawmakers abstained. 

House Bill No. 9349, authored by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, seeks to provide a legal framework for absolute divorce in the Philippines, a significant move for a country where divorce has been a long-standing contentious issue. According to the lawmaker, legalizing divorce isn’t about encouraging separations. 

“Divorce does not put asunder a marriage as the union has long perished. What will be before the Family Court is a cadaver of a marriage. Divorce is not the monster plaguing a marriage. It is marital infidelity, abandonment, violence, and cruelty, among others, which are the devils that destroy marriages,” Lagman said in a statement on May 22. 

The bill aims to offer absolute divorce as a legal solution for irreparably broken marriages, under specific grounds and judicial processes. Its goal is to protect children from the emotional toll of parental conflicts and give divorced individuals the opportunity to remarry and start anew.