SWS: 50% agree, 31% disagree with divorce

Half of Filipino adults nationwide support the legalization of divorce for irreconcilably separated couples, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Friday. 

The survey, conducted from March 21-25, 2024, asked respondents if “married couples who have already separated and cannot reconcile anymore should be allowed to divorce so that they can get legally married again.” 

Results showed that 50% agreed, 31% disagreed, while 17% were undecided.

SWS said that this was a 5% decline from the previous survey in June 2023, with 55% and a record-high 65% in March 2023.

“Net agreement with legalizing divorce was very strong among men and women with live-in partners compared to moderately strong levels among widowed or separated women, men who have never married, women who have never married, widowed/separated men, married women, and married men,” SWS said. 

The study also cited that support for the legalization of divorce is very strong in Metro Manila, with moderately strong levels in Balance Luzon and the Visayas, and Mindanao being neutral.

Mindanao has steadily declined from the record-high very strong agreement in March 2023 to moderately strong in June 2023.

In terms of religion, net agreement with legalizing divorce was at moderately strong levels among other Christians, Catholics, and Muslims, while it was moderately weak among members of Iglesia ni Cristo.

SWS noted that among Muslims, net agreement with legalizing divorce was on a steady decline from extremely strong in March 2023 to moderately strong in June 2023 and moderately strong in March 2024. 

The survey was conducted face-t0-face with 1,500 adults -- 600 in Balance Luzon (Luzon outside Metro Manila), and 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. Of the total respondents, 13% are from Metro Manila, 45% from Balance Luzon, 19% from the Visayas, and 23% from Mindanao.

“Fifty-two percent are from urban areas, and 48% are from rural areas. Male and female respondents have a 1-to-1 ratio and, thus, are alternately sampled,” it said.

“By age group, 12% are youth (18-24), 16% are intermediate youth (25-34), 22% are middle-aged (35-44), 17% are 45 to 54 years old, and 33% are 55 years old and above,” SWS added.

By education, 12% had at most some elementary education, 25% either finished elementary or had some junior high school education, 28% either finished junior high school or had some vocational schooling, 21% either completed vocational school or attended some college, and 10% either graduated from college or took post-graduate studies.

Fifty percent of the respondents are men and 50% are women.

The survey had sampling error margins of ±2.5% for national percentages, ±4.0% for Balance Luzon, and ±5.7% each for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

It was done more than a month before the House of Representatives approved the Absolute Divorce bill on third and final reading on May 22, 2024. —VAL/KG, GMA Integrated News