The Bandwagon

The Bandwagon

The Philippines is the only country in the world that does not have a divorce bill. Does that mean that it’s time for us to have one? Should we join the bandwagon of other countries? What good will it bring if we do have a divorce bill in our country? Would it really make that big of a difference? These are just some of the questions that are going around this very delicate subject.

Should our country join this bandwagon or divorce, we should not regret the consequences of our actions. There are countries out there that have the divorce law and yet they’re divorce rate is very low. Could this mean that it is not whether a question of the legality of divorce in our country but a question of what type of lifestyle we Filipinos have. Are we like those countries that have a low divorce rate or are we going to be like the U.S. wherein one out of every two marriages end up in divorce? How ready are we Filipinos for this law?

To my surprise Filipinos are very open to the idea of the divorce law being legalized. But we Filipinos are very hesitant about the passing of the RH Bill. I’ve always known that the Filipino culture is very adamant about change. We don’t like change. We are very closed-minded about change. We like things the way they are because we are afraid that new things will just bring problems. But why the sudden liking to this particular bill? Could it be that most marriages in our country end up as failures? Or is it just that the divorce bill would make it convenient for Filipinos to have new relationships?

What baffles me most about this bill is that, why are they so focused on the protection of women against domestic violence? Not all situations include domestic violence in the picture. And not to be sarcastic or anything, but aren’t there cases wherein the husband is the one being battered? The law strives for the protection of women and children but it doesn’t have any provision if and when the victim is the husband.

So what then should happen if and when a couple decides to file for divorce? Should they be allowed to marry again? If they make mistakes during their first marriage, it doesn’t mean that they won’t make mistakes should they be given the chance to marry again. What guarantee do couples have that if they are allowed to file for divorce, their spouses will continue to support or adhere to the agreement during the divorce procedure?

We really can’t say right now if this particular bill will be beneficial for us. On the other hand, we’ve lasted this long without a divorce bill. Why start now? Why now when we have more important things to worry about? Is the government just diverting our attention from issues that they have to face? Or does the government think that the Filipino society should be introduced to a new “solution” for their problems? Are we even ready for this bill? Do we even understand its provisions? We’ll see in the near future.