Divorce in the Philippines

I am in favor of a divorce law in the Philippines.

I know I may not see such a bill passed by our lawmakers in my lifetime, but I honestly see no reason why such a measure can not be voted on by Congress in the near future. After all, we are the only country other than the Vatican that does not have divorce. Even Spain and Italy and all the other Catholic countries around the world consider divorce a practical solution to a couple that can not live together their whole lives and find themselves miserable and “stuck”. In the past, we still had Malta that also did not practice divorce, but they have also recently decided it was time to face reality.

I know it seems like such a drastic change for a country like ours. And immediately when people think of divorce they think of the drive-through marriage and quickie divorces that are the trademark of such countries like the United States. The fear becomes that people will not think things through before getting married because they know they have a way out, so to speak. However, this will not be the case, because a divorce can not be obtained simply because you have decided you no longer like your spouse. There will be regulations and strict reasons for divorce that will be decided upon by the courts, so it is not a quick and easy solution that many others worry about.

It is important to at least consider this for our country. There are already close to 800 cases or so being applied for annulment or legal separation a month — most of these cases by women. We need to realize the important reasons why this is happening. A lot of it goes beyond no longer getting along. Sometimes it’s due to domestic violence, infidelity, and abandonement. Should these spouses be made to suffer for the rest of their lives when they find themselves in a situation like this? It certainly does not seem fair.

Gabriela Party-list Rep. Luz Ilagan and fellow lawmaker Emmi de Jesus have filed a House bill introducing divorce, under strict conditions, in the Philippines and it is now with the House committee on revision of laws. They are waiting for the committee to schedule hearings to ask sponsors and resource persons to explain the pros and cons of the proposed legislation. It is very likely that this will be tackled by Congress in its third regular session in July. And even as the head of the lower House is supporting the proposal as early as now, Ilagan surmises that the Senate is also likely to support the bill citing the case of several senators who are currently or have undergone the annulment process.

It will be a change for sure, but not for the worse. To give people the freedom to divorce their spouse will not make them cavalier about marriage. I think we have to give our people a little more credit than that. This will not be the further breaking down of our morals. Much like the RH bill, which I also consider necessary for our times, divorce will not make it easy to be “immoral”. It simply gives a couple an option when they have exhausted all means to make their relationship work and have found that it is just not possible.

Of course, at the same time that certain lawmakers have already given their support to such a bill, we can be sure that there are others who will be vehemently against it. Again, like the RH bill circus, certain lawmakers will make a show of how this will not be for our best interest and will stand firmly with the Catholic Church spouting fire and brimstone. Who can forget the very lively and often utterly confusing dramatics of Senator Sotto during the RH bill voting session. If he thinks he has gained brownie points with the Church for his vigorous stand against the bill, he is severely mistaken. In fact, it is his actions against this bill that made people continue to talk about him. From contradictory points, not thoroughly researched speeches and even accusations of plagiarism, Sotto has certainly made a mark in his battle against the RH bill, and not in a good way.

Which is not to say that he should stand for what he believes. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is another strong opposer to the RH bill said that the fight was not over even after the bill passed in the Senate. He claimed that several who were against the bill were in tears after the vote uncertain of the country’s future. I believe that is far too dramatic. While the RH bill is new and different for the country, I don’t believe it is the start of our moral degradation. It is an important tool in effective population control and a key factor in uplifting women’s health and saving the lives of many women who die everyday due to complications in childbirth from unsafe and unhealthy multiple pregnancies. One only need look at the multitudes of children wandering the streets without adequate food, clothing, and shelter to know it was the right choice. I believe that when truly cares for the living is the time they can call themselves pro-life. Besides, as stated many times over, the RH bill is not about abortion. It is about education.

Indeed, these are important strides forward for our country. Who knows, divorce could be next.

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I think that Philex Mining should be commended for taking further steps to rehabilitate bodies of water that were affected by the accidental spill from their tailings pond last August following historically unprecendented heavy rains brought about by typhoons.

Despite the criticism received by the company from many in the environmental sector, the company is still doing its part to remedy the situation including spending at least P1 billion in their rehabilitation program ongoing until April of next year. The company has signed agreements on proposals by experts for the rehabilitation of Balog Creek and its convergence area with Agno River. The memorandum was signed with Carlos Primo David and proposals were drawn up to check sediment transport modeling, fate analysis of heavy metals, characterization of fisheries, and the estimation of economic loss and the environmental benefits of biological rehabilitation.

This is just the next step in efforts made by Philex, with Manny Pangilinan at the helm, over the past few months to quickly and efficiently address the unfortunate accident. I think it is admirable that they would go to such lengths to see the situation amended. They are looking forward instead of dwelling on the past and focusing on the preservation of a clean environment and addressing the problems they faced earlier on in the year.

I think the company’s quick action, their commitment and response to the situation, and their ongoing efforts have kept the fears of their supporters and stockholders at bay as their stock price has remained steady despite the losses incurred due to the accident. The company’s stock will, no doubt, remain high in the years to come.