Divorce is illegal for most residents of the Philippines, despite a special law that gave the nation's Muslim minority the right to legally end their marriage. The Christian majority, however, remains deeply affected by the Catholic Church and the rules espoused by the Vatican — the only other country in the world to still ban divorce.

This May, however, the Philippine House of Representatives narrowly passed the Absolute Divorce Act, a proposed law that would dramatically change the country's legal stance on marriage dissolution. The bill expands on existing options such as annulment, legal separation and psychological incapacity.

If enacted, the law would allow couples to file for divorce if they have been separated for at least five years and reconciliation is deemed impossible, or if they have been legally separated for more than two years. It would also incorporate justifications already recognized in annulment and legal separation cases, such as abandonment and infidelity.

At the same time, the bill would not introduce no-fault divorce and, except in cases where a spouse or child is in danger, it would require a 60-day cooling-off period to give couples a last chance to reconcile.

"Lawmakers must recognize that this is a civil policy that does not interfere with personal beliefs or family dynamics," activist AJ Alfafara of the Divorce Pilipinas Coalition told DW.

"Instead, it provides a vital option for many Filipinos who have been living separately for years but lack legal recognition of their status," she........

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