should divorce be legalized in the philippines?

the divorce debate has been going on for years because so many people are so miserable in their marriages and they want out. perhaps divorce will solve the problem for these people. just perhaps. but then again, it's like making a whole new problem... i can imagine gold diggers getting married to rich people, then divorcing them after a year, to get their hands on the money. i can see people not taking marriage too seriously, what with divorce on the table. it's a tough decision because there really are people who can't get out of their marriages (they won't even be accepted for annulment since they don't qualify). in a world like ours where reality bites, we have to make sure the solutions we offer target the core of the problem.

if i'm not mistaken, divorce is not necessary in the philippines if your reason for wanting to end the marriage is abuse. they file for annulment. this means the marriage was not valid in the first place, because the abuser lied about his identity, and a marriage is valid only if both parties have been honest to each other. but you're right, countries that allow divorce are definitely not as serious as they should be about marriage. because they can always get divorced if they no longer like to be in that relationship. and it's funny how some people get divorced, and THEN they get remarried. hmmm. glad to know you picked up something new, MissAmie. :D thanks for sharing your views! despite being brought up in a country where divorce is as common as marriage, you took a moment to consider if it should be legalized in another country. that shows discernment. :D

Tha question was asked me in a recent forum i attended discussing alternative dispute resolution as a means of settling differences. Options were being discussed and i happened to have been asked what i took into consideration when I got married. Whether i loved the guy or not was the main consideration although compatibility and security also was considered because i said i would not want to end up in a marriage that no longer worked. When asked if i favored divorce if the marriage had turned sour i said no even while admitting that i was no longer married to my husband (annulled). The lecturer said i was inconsistent and illogical but i pointed out that while my marriage might not have worked out, i still believe in the sacredness of marriage and what people should do is not to resort to a law on divorce but to really be very careful in deciding to get married, to exercise intelligence in choosing a life partner and most important, if they topok the plunge, to do everything possible to make the marriage work. And if nothing does work, to live with the mistake.Of course, that's where my catholic upbringing and my religion comes in. I might be illogical but that's my view on the matter.

yes, there have been a few unscrupulous judges who allow "annulment" to occur, despite the fact that a couple may not even be qualified for it. with the advent of the women's health bill, i feel like anything can happen. it can start opening doors, and i still do not know what i'll see beyond them. if the constitution was amended, do you believe divorce should be allowed in the philippines?

hehe. if that's illogical, then i'm illogical as well. although i'm a bad catholic (i don't go to mass much), the catholic faith really has some decent doctrines. they really REALLY make a good point when they say that the long-term solution is not to dissolve all marriages that don't work. yes, it may be a temporizing solution, but the problem (marriages that don't work) is not truly resolved. i have been hearing in past theology classes that the definitive solution is to make sure people are educated about marriage and how to make it work, and to make sure everyone is counselled about it BEFORE the act of marriage. in other words, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. especially if the cure leaves a bitter aftertaste...

yes, countries where divorce is legal are not always serious about who they are marrying. some are, but the others always think at the back of their minds that, hey, they can always get divorced anyway. but countries where divorce is not legal are trapped in their mistakes, if they did indeed make one. so, i guess, to each his own poison. :D

aerous, if you dig in Philippine history a little deeper you might actually get shocked that before- our ancestors actually did support divorce even during the pre-Spanish era and quite some time then on. Prior lawmakers and people of the constitution before actually left the decision of legalizing divorce to the congress that followed them. there is no specific law in the 1987 Philippine constitution that prohibits the legalization of divorce so it is completely constitutional. and since when did the topic of divorce got into the graft and corruption section of topics of discussions got included? just saying :) i respect your opinion though.

oh no, i tried to reply to your post but the magic of internet swallowed my message whole. sigh... anyway, yes, forcing marriage on people is wrong. in the philippines, you will find a lot of paradoxes & ironies; that's what makes this country very interesting. :D thanks for sharing! :)

i have to admit, i was quite shocked by the response that i had to start a new thread (look at my other divorce thread) to discuss exactly what this member shared with us. i did not know whether i should be outraged or amused.