The results are in: Many of those who participated in the Rolling Stone Philippines poll are in favor of divorce legislation in the Philippines. However, it does not reflect the fact that divorce remains a divisive topic among Filipinos.
The poll asked if readers thought divorce should be legalized in the Philippines. 118, or 98 percent, voted yes while only 2 voted no. But despite how good these numbers might look for divorce bill advocates, bigger surveys show that they have more minds to change.
In March 2024, research firm Social Weather Stations (SWS) asked 1,500 respondents nationwide if they agreed with the statement, “Married couples who have already separated and cannot reconcile anymore should be allowed to divorce so that they can get legally married again.” 50 percent agreed, while 32 percent disagreed and 17 percent were undecided.
The SWS survey also found that 50 percent of Roman Catholic respondents were in favor of divorce legislation, while 31 percent disagreed and 17 percent were undecided. Others in agreement were 55 percent of “other Christians,” 45 percent of Muslims, and 34 percent of Iglesia Ni Cristo.
Another survey by consultation firm OCTA Research found that 57 percent of adult Filipinos do not support the passage of the divorce bill, while only 39 percent favored legalizing divorce, GMA News reported. The survey conducted from June 2024 to July 2024 showed that 55 percent of Filipinos would not vote for candidates in favor of divorce.
Pushing for Divorce Offline
While the SWS survey shows that there are supporters of the divorce bill within the Catholic church, it does not reflect the overarching sentiment and culture in the country. In a Catholic-majority country like the Philippines, the topic of divorce is, at best, contentious and, at worst, taboo. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) calls it “unconstitutional” and a violation of the “sanctity of marriage.”
The fight for divorce legislation in the Philippines has been a long one for many advocates, but it’s a fight that hasn’t been strengthened by numbers. Cici Leuenberger Jueco founded Divorce For The Philippines Now (DIPi) in 2014; its Facebook group has amassed over 33,000 members over the years, and serves as a space for individuals to express grievances about their marriages. Domestic abuse is a common topic in their posts.
The numbers, however, have not translated well in DIPi’s lobbying efforts off social media. On January 21, only around 30 members showed up at the Senate gates to meet with lawmakers and stage a rally. Members like Lou Baltazar, who had come from Bicol, lamented the lack of dedicated advocates. “Kung nakikita mong marami kami, sabi pinagmamalaki 33,000 members. Saan?” she told Rolling Stone Philippines.
DIPi’s struggle exemplifies the dissonance between advocacy on the internet and on the ground. Though social media sentiment seems widely liberal and pro-divorce, it does not promise larger crowds of advocates rallying at the Senate gate — and it certainly does not guarantee divorce legislation in the country.
