57% of Filipinos not in favor of legalizing divorce in PH —OCTA survey

More than half of Filipinos are not in favor of legalizing divorce in the country, according to the latest survey by OCTA Research, the results of which were released Friday. 

OCTA's latest "Tugon ng Masa" survey showed 57% of adult Filipinos do not support passing a law legalizing divorce in the country, up from 51% recorded in the previous survey conducted on the 3rd quarter of 2023. 

Meanwhile, 39% favor legalizing divorce, a slight decrease of 2% from the last survey, while 4% are undecided on the matter, a 5% decline from the previous poll. 

The survey also showed that those who are not in favor of divorce are highest in Balanced Luzon at 61%, followed by Mindanao at 57%, Metro Manila at 50%, and the Visayas at 49%. 

On the other hand, divorce has the highest approval in the Visayas at 50%, followed by Metro Manila at 46%, Mindanao at 35%, and Balanced Luzon at 35%. 

The percentage of Filipinos who are undecided is highest in Mindanao at 7%, the survey showed. 

Based on socioeconomic classes, Filipinos who are not in favor of passing a law legalizing divorce is highest both in Class D and E at 58%. 

Those who are in favor of the passage of such a law are highest among Class A, B, and C at 53%. 

The percentage of Filipinos who are undecided is highest among Filipinos belonging to Class E at 6%. 

The latest OCTA survey also showed that 55% of Filipinos will not vote for a candidate promoting the legalization of divorce, while 39% will vote for such a candidate, and 5% are ambivalent. 

The non-commissioned poll surveyed 1,200 adult Filipinos from June 26 to July 1, with a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. 

Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the study have the following margins of error at a 95% confidence level: ±6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. 

The House of Representatives approved on final reading the proposed “Absolute Divorce Act” last March, seeking to have divorce as an alternative mode for dissolution of broken or dysfunctional marriages.

The House-approved bill explicitly provides for marital infidelity and domestic violence as grounds for divorce, which are not currently provided under the Family Code.  

The said bill has already been transmitted to the Senate, but Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada earlier said it is not among the priorities of the upper chamber. —KBK, GMA Integrated News