Divorce in the Philippines

Divorce is a contentious issue for the Philippines, which has a predominantly Catholic population. It is not typically legally available to Filipino citizens, and annulment is the usual legal alternative. The Muslim Personal Code, however, allows for divorce for couples who got married through the Islamic rite under specific circumstances.[1] The Philippines is often cited as the "only country in the world" where divorce is illegal, aside from the Vatican City after Malta had divorce legalized in 2011.[2][3][4]

Couples may also opt for legal separation, alternatively referred to as "relative divorce", although this process does not dissolve the marriage. Relative divorce is contrasted with "absolute divorce", a setup where previously married individuals are allowed to remarry.[5]

There have been several attempts to legalize absolute divorce in the Philippine Congress.[6]

  1. ^ The Week Staff (April 9, 2019). "Countries where divorce is illegal". The Week. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  2. ^ Santos, Ana (June 25, 2015). "The Only Country in the World That Bans Divorce". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "The Philippines: a global holdout in divorce". New Internationalist. July 5, 2011. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  4. ^ Hundley, Tom; Santos, Ana (January 19, 2015). "The Last Country in the World Where Divorce Is Illegal". Foreign Policy. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  5. ^ Juco, Jorge (April 1966). "Fault, Consent and Breakdown-The Sociology of Divorce Legislation in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Sociological Review: 67–76. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "House okays on final reading bill legalizing divorce". Manila Standard.