PUBLISHED ONMarch 15, 2018 6:30 AMFor well-off people like politician Pantaleon Alvarez, getting out of a bad marriage in the Philippines is pricey but feasible — but for the nation’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens it is nearly impossible.
That’s because heavily Catholic Philippines and the Vatican are the last two places on Earth where divorce is outlawed.
For the nation’s 100 million people, the only exit from a union gone wrong is an embarrassing — and labyrinthine — process that often amounts to a luxury.
But lawmakers, including Alvarez, have launched a new legislative effort to legalise divorce which activists believe could transform the lives of impoverished women trapped in toxic marriages.
The bill has been propelled forward by Alvarez, who is speaker in the lower House of Representatives and an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte.
In an interview with AFP, he said ending his first marriage cost him a million pesos ($19,200), which is more than triple what an average family in the Philippines makes in a year.
Like thousands of Filipinos, he did it through a civil procedure called annulment, whereby a judge declares a marriage invalid, generally because the spouses had a “psychological incapacity”.
It requires applicants to undergo a mental exam, testify in court and sometimes even claim they or their spouse entered the union with a disorder like narcissism.
The process can take anywhere from one to 10 years to wind through the creakingly slow and overburdened Philippine court system, costing at least $4,800.
Since 1999 lawmakers have regularly filed a bill to legalise divorce, only to see it languish in committee limbo — until now.
For the first time ever, House of Representatives lawmakers are poised to approve the bill after backing it in preliminary votes. It would then head to the Senate where it faces opposition from conservative members.
However, the bill enjoys rare bipartisan support, a sign Alvarez says of the urgency of addressing broken marriages.
“It’s a badge of stupidity because we are the only nation that does not see the problem,” Alvarez, 60, told AFP.
The legislation would allow divorce and exempt poor people from legal fees, listing domestic violence, attempts to engage a spouse in prostitution and irreconcilable differences among the grounds for splitting up.
‘Not the will of God’
When the Church Balances the Books on Divorce
Picture this: a massive church, representing about 80 % of the Philippines’ folks, is holding the bill hostage. Their words? “It doesn’t line up with the Bible, God’s will, or help anyone.”
What They’ve Been Up To
- In 2012, they fought a hard‑won but ultimately lost duel over free contraceptives for poor couples and sex‑education in classrooms.
- They’re still championing the bans on abortion and gay marriage.
Why the People Keep Talking About Divorce
- Since 2014, polls show over half the country leaning toward legalising divorce.
- Annulments have been climbing too – over 10,000 this last year alone, government records reveal.
- “Filipinos are more open now,” says Jean Franco, a political studies professor. “They’re soaking in ideas from abroad.”
The Church’s Throttle on the Finale
- With clergy lobbying and staging protests, the bill’s fate hangs in the balance.
- President Duterte, who’s had his own marriage annulled, still hasn’t decided which side to stand on.
- He’s shown a wild social‑issue streak: once in 2015 he backed gay marriage, then backed off after winning the presidency in 2016, only to come cheerfully back in December.
- Meanwhile, international war‑crime investigators are probing his war‑on‑drugs, further stirring church tempers.
Bottom Line
It’s a tug‑of‑war: a majority of Filipinos feel it’s high time to re‑think divorce, but the church’s powerful sway keeps the debate alive. The final verdict remains uncertain as all hands—religious, political, and international— grapple with this big-choice moment in the Philippines.
Melody Alan’s Journey: From Abuse to a New Start
Meet Melody Alan, a 44‑year‑old who’s survived 14 years of heartbreak and blows from her cheating, drunken husband, and is now looking for a fresh beginning.
- “He strangled me, pushed me against a wall. I was crying and screaming. I couldn’t breathe,” Melody says—rights of hers are still up in the air.
- She separated in 2010, but her ex still legally keeps the marital tie while raising their kids together.
- Even though she’s got four kids, the cost of an official annulment is out of reach… yet.
Why a new divorce bill matters
The Divorce Advocates of the Philippines are rallying for a law that lets women step out of the safety net quickly. Elizabeth Angsioco, a leader in the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), says:
“Divorce is a woman’s issue, especially for poor women who are being abused because it could provide them an out—legally.”
Melody’s fight back
After years of being slammed, she’s not going to keep playing the “Bride” role. She plans to file for divorce and brand herself as “the woman who is now.”
“I can start anew,” she remains, eyes on a future where her voice no longer gets drowned out by a husband’s booze or lies.
