EDITORIAL – Divorce

According to reports, a committee in the House of Representatives has “approved in principle” the Marriage Dissolution Bill, essentially granting us what is equal to divorce in other countries.

Principally authored by Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman, House Bill 100, was shelved in April 2018 and refiled in July 2019 under the 18th Congress, according to Philstar.com.

Divorce in the Philippines is one of the top polarizing issues Filipinos face today, up there with death penalty and gay marriage, among others.

As children, we were taught that only God can end a marriage and “what God put together let no man tear asunder.” However, as many of us grew up we realized that world isn’t black and white, and happy endings aren’t guaranteed, even in a marriage that seemed so happy at the start.

That said, having a divorce bill has pros and cons.

There are those who insist that a divorce bill gives couples the wrong impression that they can just get out of a marriage easily if they can no longer handle the heat. That it will make couples no longer work hard to make a marriage work because they already have this ready option to dissolve it anytime they want.

People on this side also cite the children as a reason; what will be their living arrangements if a divorce happens? Custodial arrangements? How will it affect the children?

On the other hand, there are those say divorce should be an option for those who want it. The people on this side will reason that people need to correct their mistakes, and the biggest mistake of all is marrying the wrong person or for the wrong reasons.

They will readily cite a woman trying to escape from an abusive spouse who is drunk most of the time and beats her and their children. Or an unhappy couple who has fallen out of love and just want to be with other people.

People on this side also cite the children as a reason; and they will mention that studies show that it isn’t emotionally healthy for children to live with parents who bicker and fight all the time.

This isn’t an easy issue to resolve, and whatever happens, there will be those left grieving and those left rejoicing. With the bill still having a long way to go before becoming a law, let’s hope those who get the final say make the right decision.