Divorce bill passage pushed in Senate

EDITORIAL

The divorce bill is now being pushed in the Senate withb Sen. Ana Theresia "Risa" Hontiveros renewing her call Tuesday to pass the bill, saying women who are victim-survivors of domestic abuse need this legal recourse.
    The senator, who is the chairman of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender wquality, pressed for the passage of her proposed Senate Bill (SB) 147 or the "Dissolution of Marriage Act."
    Hontiveros urged the Senate "to pick up speed" as the House of Representatives has approved, in principle, bills that provide for the dissolution of marriage.
    "Our counterparts in the House have already been making the moves to help our country catch up with the rest of the world. The Senate must do the same," she stressed.
    "Some Filipino women have almost been killed by their own husbands. But most of them cannot leave their marriages because of the prohibitive costs of filing for an annulment," Hontiveros said.
    "We are the only country, aside from the Vatican, that doesn't have a divorce. As a secular state, this is not something to be proud of," she pointed out.
    For his part, Sen. Rafael "Raffy" Tulfo believes that the divorce bill is "an act of social justice that would give people a fresh start from a miserable marriage," and said he "strongly supports its enactment."
    "I join my colleagues in the Senate who have passed a similar bill and hope that we can harmonize all the best provisions to give Filipino families a chance to save themselves from endless suffering," Tulfo said.
    Sen. Robinhood Padilla stressed that divorce does not aim to threaten a marriage but to protect those trapped in a doomed union. "We will never be instruments to destroying a union."
    "As lawmakers, we will uphold the Constitution to strengthen marriage. But when the time comes that one, two or three Filipinos seek freedom from a doomed union, that becomes a right," Padilla said.
    Hontiveros noted that past surveys have shown that the majority of Filipinos favor divorce. "We better listen to our people.    "
    She conducted a public hearing on at least seven other similar bills, such as SB 554 recognizing the foreign decree of termination of marriage, SB 719 and SB 1198 amending and expanding the ground of legal separation, and SB 1298 or the proposed Church decreed annulment.
    She noted that the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey by the Philippines Statistics Authority showed 1 in 4 married women ages 15 to 49 years old has experienced spousal violence, whether physical, sexual or emotional.
The surveys also report that most of those who agree to institute divorce are women, the senator said.
"When a marriage has become irreparable, it is incumbent upon the State not only to provide relief to the spouses, but also protect children from the pain, anxiety, and trauma of witnessing regular marital clashes," she said.
"Let us give Filipino families the chance to let go of toxic relationships," Hontiveros said.
In 2017, the Social Weather Station ran a survey, revealing that 53 percent agreed to legalize divorce. Another survey, run by the Catholic Radio Veritas in 2018, showed that 52 percent "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" to a divorce bill.
 

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Legalizing absolute divorce in Philippines

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

“What God has put together, let no man put asunder,” is an oft quoted Christian maxim. But then, as Noble prize winner-singer Bob Dylan says in his song – “the times they are a-changing.”
    Couples who suffered for years under abusive relationships are now waking up to the fact that it takes two to tango and if there is need to get out, so be it. Over the years, we have seen lots of annulment cases filed in courts and ordered for publication in the Northern Philippine Times.
    Some relationships have been abusive with one party doing the oppression while the other is some sort of a masochist. Victims, mostly women endured years of abuse that, basing from court complaints, is hard to imagine. One published complaint was about a woman who had been repeatedly beaten and burned with cigarettes over the years by the husband but still she clung to the relationship hoping the former would change.
    In another case, a man brought different women to their house and slept with them over the years while the wife suffered mental anguish and cried with her baby in another room.
    There are a lot of gut-wrenching stories about relationships but these should suffice.          
    That is why, for oppressed parties, and some human rights groups, the bill legalizing absolute divorce in the country that hurdled committee approval on August 17 and headed for the second time for plenary deliberations in the House of Representatives, is a welcome development.
    Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, one of the principal authors of the bill, said “no less than Speaker Lord Allan Velasco” is supportive of the enactment of the still unnumbered measure.
    The House committee on population and family relations chaired by Guimaras Rep. Ma. Lucille Nava approved the measure during a zoom meeting that was allegedly off-limits to the media.
    Sources said the committee-approved measure consolidated three separate legislative measures proposing absolute divorce as an alternative for the dissolution of marriage.
    A similar bill had been introduced for plenary deliberation during the 17th Congress, then headed by former Speaker and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, author of House Bill 2263.
    Authors of HB 838 include Makabayan bloc Reps. Arlene Brosas, France Castro, Sarah Jane Elago, Eufemia Cullamat, Carlos Zarate, and Ferdinand Gaite; and House Bill 2263 authored by Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.
    Lagman, who filed HB 100, said Velasco favored the enactment of a reinstituted absolute divorce law, pointing out that the incumbent House leader submitted “perfecting amendments” to the measure.
    Velasco proposed the following amendments: (a) provisions on court-assisted petitioners; (b) community-based pre-nuptial and post-matrimonial programs; (c) community-based women’s desks to provide assistance and support to victims of violence and abuse; and (d) an appropriation language for the bill.
    In his sponsorship remarks of the measure Lagman said the “bill reinstates absolute divorce because absolute divorce was already practiced during the pre-Spanish times, the American colonial period, and during the Japanese occupation.”
    He said that with the unanimous approval of the substitute bill “today is a momentous occasion for countless wives, who are battered and deserted, to regain their humanity, self-respect and freedom from irredeemably failed marriages and utterly dysfunctional unions.”
    The grounds for legal separation, annulment of marriage, and nullification of marriage based on psychological incapacity under the Family Code of the Philippines are included as grounds for absolute divorce and were amended to make said grounds cover causes arising after the solemnization of the marriage.
    The other grounds for divorce are the following: (a) separation in fact for at least five years at the time the petition for absolute divorce is filed; (b) when one of the spouses undergoes a gender reassignment surgery or transitions from one sex to another; (c) irreconcilable marital differences as defined in the bill; (d) other forms of domestic or marital abuse which are also defined in the bill; (e) valid foreign divorce secured by either the alien or Filipino spouse; and (f) a marriage nullified by a recognized religious tribunal.
    Lagman said the effects of absolute divorce include the voiding of the marital union and capacitating the divorced spouses to remarry.
    The veteran lawmaker noted that the Philippines is the only country in the world today which outlaws absolute divorce, aside from the almost celibate Vatican City state.
    Lagman maintained that “it is hard to believe that all the other countries collectively erred in instituting absolute divorce in varying degrees of liberality and limitations. An en masse blunder is beyond comprehension. An erroneous unanimity on such a crucial familial institution defies reason and experience. Obviously, the rest of the world cannot be mistaken on the universality of absolute divorce.”

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Cop, fiancée cancel wedding, donate savings as Covid-19 aid

COUPLE DONATES WEDDING SAVINGS. Pat. John Cleveland Pannogan of Mallango, Tinglayan, and Nannete Velasco of Tuba, Benguet donated their savings for the wedding which they postponed due to the coronavirus disease pandemic. The couple was set to be married in June. 

By Jesse Maguiya  

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – A young policeman from Tinglayan and his fiancée postponed their wedding set in June and donated their savings to residents whose livelihoods have been affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Pat. John Cleveland Pannogan, who joined the police force in 2018, saved about P50,000 for the wedding with girlfriend, Nannete Velasco of nearby province Tuba, Benguet.

“We donated the money, instead of keeping it in the safe, to help others. We can save up again after Covid,” Pannogan said.

Since the ECQ took effect in March, mass gatherings are prohibited and so the couple decided to postpone their wedding in the midst of the continuous threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The couple donated the money through the “Adopt a Family" program of the Philippine National Police.

The program aims to encourage police personnel to help families who are in need of basic food commodities and necessary supplies during the ECQ.

“Kung may kapangyarihan man na mabisang bala kontra krisis, ito ay ang pagkakaroon ng malasakit. Panahon na upang ating paigtingin ang pagkakaisa at malasakit sa bawat isa (If there is force more powerful than the bullet of a gun, it is having care and concern. It is time we strengthen and put efforts together for cooperation and care for everyone),” he said on a Facebook post.

He encouraged fellow police officers to do the same. "Atin pong ipakita ang tunay na puso ng pulis (Let us show the real heart of a policeman),” he said.

Pannogan, a native of Mallango, Tinglayan town, currently resides at Agbannawag, Tabuk City.

Regional Mobile Force Company commander Col. Mario Mayames urged his men on the field to share blessings on their birthdays.

“I encourage the men on the field who are celebrating their birthdays, because it is unsuitable to celebrate at this time, that they can put together their birthday money and share it to those in need through the adopt a family program of the PNP,” he said.

“Resources pooled together will mean a lot to families who are greatly affected who lost income due to the quarantine,” he added. (PNA)

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Legalizing divorce / GMRC bill gets final House nod

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

THE House committee on family relations on Wednesday, February 5, approved three measures that seek to legalize divorce in the Philippines.

House Bill 100, authored by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, will be combined with two other bills authored by Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas and Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez.

A similar measure was approved by the House on third and final reading under the 17th Congress, but failed to get the support of the Senate.

Lagman said it was the farthest that any bill of this nature reached the legislative mill.

“What was even more astounding was the fact that representatives crossed lines to support the measure, even after President Duterte’s spokesperson announced that the President does not support any bill allowing the dissolution of marriage,” Lagman told the media.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano earlier said that although he personally does not believe divorce to be the solution to troubled marriages, he will allow free and open debate on the divorce bills.

“Some believe that divorce is the solution, some, like me, do not believe, but we are not stopping any of the committees from discussing all of these bills,” Cayetano said.

At this time, those who are seeking freedom from their spouses will have to wait. 

***

Earlier on Tuesday, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved on third and final reading a measure institutionalizing values education in the curriculum by incorporating "Good Manners and Right Conduct" (GMRC) as a subject in Kindergarten up to Grade 3.

Based from a PNA report, with 225 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and no abstention, the chamber passed House Bill 5829, or the proposed Good Manners and Right Conduct Act, which was principally authored by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

The bill seeks to institutionalize GMRC as part of the Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (EsP) curriculum of the Dept. of Education's K to 12 Program.

Cayetano pushed for the passage of the bill to strengthen Filipinos' common core values and inculcate universally acceptable moral standards.

The GMRC shall inculcate among the students the concepts of human dignity, respect for oneself, and giving oneself to others in the spirit of community, for the effective and holistic development of the decision-making skills of the child.

The curriculum shall also focus on the basic tenets of GMRC, such as caring for oneself, giving concern for others, according to proper respect to people, upholding discipline and order, cultivating sincerity, honesty, obedience, and above all, love for the country.

"The teaching method shall be actual or situational, rather than conceptual, thereby, allowing students to directly relate to the lessons, readily put them in practice, and make such behavior commonplace," the bill read.

The DepEd, as the lead implementing agency, shall carry out the appropriate training for teachers and educators in Kindergarten to Grade 3 on GMRC to develop and enhance their capacity to teach the subject.

House Committee on Basic Education and Culture chairman Roman Romulo, sponsor of the bill, noted that the current values education program lacks the actual and situational activities necessary so that the students could embed the values in day-to-day life.

“Currently, they have a subject called EsP but the subject itself is being taught in a theoretical manner, meaning definitions are taught and memorized,” Romulo said.

“What we want and what we have put in this bill is that the teaching of Good Manners and Right Conduct be also actual and situational so that the learners from Kinder to Grade 3 would be able to imbibe properly the lessons for the day,” he added. 

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Mass wedding set Feb 14 / Upping Baguio revenue

CITY HALL BEAT

Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY - The Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) or Pag-IBIG Fund Baguio Branch in partnership with the city government of Baguio will conduct its annual mass wedding dubbed "I Do, I Do Araw ng Pag-ibig" this Valentine's Day, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. at the Rose Garden, Burnham Park.

                Mayor Benjamin Magalong will officiate the civil rites for a total of 50 couples from the city which will be conducted       Simultaneously with other mass wedding rites in other parts of the country.

Interested couples may apply at the City Mayor's Office or the Pagibig Baguio office at S Building, Upper Session Road.

Pagibig Fund Baguio Branch Head Meriam Pamittan encouraged couples planning to get married to avail of the privilege.

Pagibig will provide wedding amenities including the symbolic cake, ring, arrhae, bouquet, headdress, veil and cord, food and catering and bridal car.It will also sponsor a raffle draw with handsome prizes at stake for the participating couples.The city government for its part will provide the venue and decorations among others.

Couples should have applied for their license not later than Jan. 27 which means that they should have submitted all the requirements at the City Registry Office under Asst. Dept. Head Bernardina Tabin.

The requirements are: Proof of age either the birth certificate or baptismal certificate (one must by a resident of the city); Parental consent for applicants aged 18 to 20  to be given preferably by the father (personal appearance with valid ID); Parental Advice for applicants aged 21 to 24 to be given preferably by the father; Certificate of No Marriage for both parties from the Philippine Statistics Authority; Certificate of Seminar on Family Planning and Responsible Parenthood at the Baguio Health Services Office (Schedule is Tuesdays at 1 to 5 p.m. and Thursday at 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.); Tree Planting Certificate issued by the City Environment and Parks Management Office ( Schedule is Monday and Wednesday 9:30-10:30 a.m.); Legal Capacity for foreigner applicants issued by their Consular Offices; Widow or Widower, death certificate of deceased spouse; Cedula or passport of both applicants; valid ID of both applicants; Ten Days Posting; and Processing and License  Fee of P142; Solemnization fee of P500.

                ***

Mayor Magalong Jan. 6 identified three ways by which the city can pursue its target to aggressively increase its revenue this year and sustain its good financial standing in the coming years.

In the Executive-Legislative meeting, the mayor said the city is inclined to toe the line of “economic enterprise” to pursue its target of increasing the city’s income by P300 million to improve its fiscal status which had remained stagnant for the last seven years as per assessment of the City Budget Office.  

He said the city will tap its idle lands and other resources for conversion into revenue-generating assets under joint ventures with the private sector.

The city has around 16 titled lots located outside the central business districts as per the report of the General Services Office.

Turning these white elephants into income-generating properties will boost the city’s earnings, the mayor said.

Another possible source will be the adoption of the new schedule of market values which had long been awaiting adoption by the city council.

The mayor said the city will pursue the implementation of the new rates on a piecemeal basis to make it acceptable to and temper its impact on the taxpayers.  

During the meeting, the mayor appealed to the city council for reception to the realty and business tax reforms and all other revenue upgrading measures that are either pending or about to be proposed to the august body.

The mayor had tasked department heads concerned to study the imposition of additional fees such as sewerage, congestion and environmental fees.

These will all be submitted to the city council along with the proposed parking fees and increased anti-littering charges for consideration.

The city also plans to upgrade its Geographic Information System to enhance its spatial data which will help in identifying delinquent and undeclared businesses and residences for tax purposes which is a sure way of increasing collections for the city coffers.

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Same sex marriages

EDITORIAL

Same sex marriages in the Philippines may not yet have reached its time. The Supreme Court (SC) unanimously voted to dismiss on account of a technicality what was touted as a historic petition to allow same-sex marriage in the Philippines.

"The Court's decision dismissed Falcis' petition on account of his lack of standing, violating the principle of hierarchy of courts, and failing to raise an actual, justiciable controversy," SC's spokesperson Brian Keith Hosaka said in a news conference on Sept. 3.

Falcis, a young and openly gay lawyer, filed the petition against the Civil Registrar General, the public official in the position to deny a marriage license to gay couples. But Falcis himself was not seeking marriage.

Falcis later got gay couple Ceejay Agbayani and Marlon Felipe as intervenors in the petition. Agbayani and Felipe want to get married and are in fact married under Agbayani's LGBT Chirstian Church.

Their marriage is not recognized by the State.

"(The Court) clarified that it is only through the existence of actual facts and real adversarial presentations that this Court can fully weigh the implications and consequences of its pronouncements," Hosaka said.

Even though it is dismissing the case on technicalities, the Supreme Court made a crucial pronouncement that the Constitution does not explicitly ban same-sex marriage.

"From its plain text, the Constitution does not define, or restrict, marriage on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression," Hosaka said, quoting the decision.

Justices also pointed out during oral arguments the petition's violation of the hierarchy of courts, saying that the landmark US Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage was a culmination of decades of fighting it out in the lower courts.

Falcis was grilled on procedural flaws during oral arguments, although Constitutional Law professor Dan Gatmaytan said the procedural issues could be cured if the Supreme Court wanted to.

“And that's why my conclusion is that [the justices] were trying to find a reason not to decide the case,” Gatmaytan said in an earlier interview.

The Supreme Court also held Falcis and his co-counsels Darwin Angeles, Keisha Trina Guangko, and Cristopher Ryan Maranan liable for indirect contempt.

"To forget the bare rudiments of court procedure and decorum – or worse, to purport to know them, but really, only to exploit them by way of propaganda – and then, to jump headlong into the taxing endeavor of constitutional litigation is a contemptuous betrayal of the high standards of the legal profession," Hosaka said, quoting the en banc.

Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, the ponente, said the issue of same-sex partnerships "may, for now, be a matter that should be addressed to Congress."

"The Court, through the ponente, recognized the protracted history of discrimination and marginalization faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and other gender and sexual minorities (LGBTQI+) community, along with their still ongoing struggle for equality," Hosaka said.

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Isabela couple ties knot as Typhoon Ompong rages

CORDON, Isabela -- A couple of this town proved their love for each other is stronger than any storm.

Lovebirds Glenn Guillermo Agapito and Jasmine Vicencio Apigo-Agapito tied the knot here in Turod Sur on Sept. 15 during onslaught of Typhoon Ompong.

Photos of the pair’s wedding were shared their by photographer Dondie Aliñavon Ariola on Facebook.

As of writing, Ariola’s post has reached more than 2,000 likes and has been shared more than 500 times.

Kahit sampong Ompong pa ang dumating, kahit masira man ang dekorasyon, tuloy na tuloy pa rin…” Ariola captioned his post of the pair’s wedding.

Ariola said the wedding photos were taken in the reception area, located beside the groom’s house, which was ruined by “Ompong”.

The photographer added that the couple decided to push through with the wedding since the rain was no longer heavy in their area.

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OFW files concubinage case against husband

HINGYON, Ifugao – An overseas foreign worker filed a case for concubinage against her husband here last week for allegedly having a paramour and bearing two children with her.  

The OFW, whose name was not disclosed reported to police here Tuesday that her 36-year-old husband who was not also named was having an illicit relationship with a certain Janice N. Mariano of Poblacion East, Lagawe.

 Investigation disclosed that the victim went to Hongkong as an overseas foreign worker on Oct. 24, 2012 leaving their 9-year-old son under the care of her husband and his sister. On November 2012, the husband reportedly started to have an affair with Mariano who later bore a child. Victim was informed about her husband’s affair but the latter denied that he was the father of the child.

 Later, the victim forgave the husband who promised stop his relationship with Mariano. But after a year, word reached the victim that her husband was the father of another child of Mariano.

The husband denied this and urged the victim not to believe the information. But the OFW reportedly saw a Facebook photo showing Mariano, her husband and their two kids. Due to this, the victim came home and stayed at their house. She tried to accept her husband and what he did but after more than a month of staying together, her husband was often out for many days and victim suspected that he was visiting his paramour.

 Police arrested the suspect who was reportedly instilling fear on his children. A case of concubinage was filed at the prosecutor’s office against the husband

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More MP couples practice family planning- PHO

BONTOC, Mountain Province – There is a rapid increase of couples in the province practicing different methods of family planning this first quarter of 2015 compared to last year.

Data from the Provincial Health Office (PHO) shows that there are 551 new acceptors of family planning methods for the first quarter of 2015 compared to a total of 122 last year.  Out of the 551 new acceptors, Bauko listed the highest number with 172 followed by Bontoc with 140.  Sadanga listed 97, 63 in Natonin, 24 in Barlig, 21 in Paracelis, 15 in Sagada, eight in Sabangan, six in Tadian, and five in Besao.

According to Family Planning coordinator Dolores Te-elan of the PHO, 260 of the new acceptors are using the Natural Family Planning – Lactational Amenorrhea Method (NFP- LAM), 85 are practicing the NFP- Cervical Mucos Method, 54 are taking in pills, 16 are using condom, and three are following the Standard Days Method. In addition, 40 underwent Bilateral Tubal Ligation (BTL), 21 opted for the implant which is the depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), 11 used the Intra Uterine Device (IUD), 60 chose injectable, and one underwent vasectomy.

Te-elan attributed the awareness and acceptance of couples on family planning to the continuous information education campaign (IEC) conducted by the health workers from the provincial level down to the barangay. She relayed that their office, in partnership with the Department of Health – Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-CAR), different Rural Health Units (RHUs), other health facilities in the province, and Population Commission in the regional to the municipal level are working together in the information dissemination about family planning thru radio guesting, printing and distributing of reading materials, and establishing linkages to civic society organizations (CSOs).

Also, supplies used in artificial planning methods were funded by the DOH – National Office, provincial government and Municipal Local Government Units (MLGUs) to be given free to couples. These include oral contraceptives, IUD, DMPA, condoms, and Diaphragms.

With this, Te-elan advised couples to go to the nearest health facility in their barangay or municipality to avail of the artificial planning methods except for BTL and vasectomy that are only offered at the hospitals in the province.

Te-elan said that family planning enables couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children with informed choice and access to safe and effective family planning methods. 

She said family planning is important for the health of the mother as it will give her ample time to recover her strength after giving birth, prevent high risk pregnancy, and prepare her for the responsibilities of motherhood.  Family planning is also important for the health of the new born child and the entire family. It is because parents will have sufficient time for each of their children, couples will have time for each other, and family will have time to socialize.

The DOH anchored family planning into the principles of Responsible Parenthood, Respect for Life, Birth Spacing, and Informed Choice.  Responsible Parenthood means that each family has the right and duty to determine the desired number of children they might have and when they might have them. Beyond responsible parenthood is Responsible parenting which is the proper upbringing and education of children so that they grow up to be upright, productive and civic-minded citizens. Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, it states the government protects the sanctity of life. The DOH corrected the notion that using Family Planning methods is not considered an abortion. Birth Spacing refers to interval between pregnancies which is ideally three years. It enables women to recover their health, improves women's potential to be more productive and to realize their personal aspirations and gives them more time to care for their children and spouse. Informed Choice is upholding and ensuring the rights of couples to determine the number and spacing of their children according to their life's aspirations and reminding couples that planning size of their families have a direct bearing on the quality of their children's and their own lives.

Family Planning Month which is observed every month of August, aims to raise awareness on the importance of the attainment of a better quality of life for mothers, fathers, children, and the family as a whole. --  Alpine L. Killa

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Couples securing marriage license: Plant trees first

By Susan Aro

ITOGON, Benguet — Instilling awareness among couples the concept of balanced ecology with a shared responsibility in caring for the environment was the essence of a measure crafted by municipal officials of Itogon encouraging would-be couples to plant trees when  securing marriage license.

This is also to ensure people s participation in replenishing the declining number of trees in its environs.

Would-be  married couples  are encouraged to plant at least five seedlings of trees either in idle or vacant lots, public parks in rural areas, private lands, backyard or anywhere near their residence.

Tree seedlings for planting may be secured from the barangay council, Municipal Agriculture Office, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-CAR or the Department of Agriculture.

The barangay captain or the sangguniang barangay chairman on committee on environment will then issue certificate of compliance which will be submitted to the Office of the Civil Registrar along with other requirements for the release or issuance of marriage license.

Authored by Itogon councilors Annie Galiega and ArnelBahingawan, Ordinance 50 series 2015, was referred to the provincial board s committee on legal matters for further study and appropriate action.

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Ifugao solon pushes ‘legal union’ of same-sex couples

By Aiza Liza Namingit

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat pushed for “legal union of whatever gender or sexual orientation” like gays in the country.

This, after the US Supreme Court recently affirmed in a landmark decision the Constitutional right of same-sex couples in the United States to be legally married in all 50 states, a decision that shines the light on the urgent need to provide equal treatment to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders, including those in the Philippines.

Baguilat said while there was growing acceptance of the needs and aspirations of the LGBT community in the Philippines, discrimination has remained, thus his desire to push for the passage of an anti-discrimination bill in Congress.

At this point, perhaps it is still too early to talk about a similar same-sex marriage law in the Philippines, but Baguilat said that if looked at from a rights-based perspective, there is basis to push for the right of individuals of whatever gender or sexual orientation to enter into a legal union.
A more immediate action that can be taken to protect the rights of the LGBT community, he said, was the passage of the long-pending anti-discrimination bill, adding that it must be one of the priorities in the final days of the 16th Congress.

“I am one of the principal authors of this bill that seeks to protect not just LGBTs but also indigenous people, persons with disabilities, seniors and other disadvantaged sectors from discrimination in the workplace, school, media, government transactions and services among
others,” he said.

Baguilat said while there was no law criminalizing LGBTs, there was likewise no law prohibiting discriminatory actions against them, resulting in systemic discrimination against them in such areas as the workplace and even in social circles.

Citing the findings of a paper prepared by the Rainbow Rights Project, he said violence against LGBTs ranged from physical to emotional violence, sometimes at the hands of family members, particularly male members including fathers, brothers, uncles and stepfathers who want to “punish” the LGBTs for their gender identity or sexual orientation.

The paper likewise identified instances where lesbians, bisexuals and transgender women faced discrimination when applying for jobs. They are often denied employment despite being better educated and having either equal or better qualifications than other applicants just because of their sexual orientation.

There have also been cases where transgender women experienced harassment and discrimination when applying for passports and other documents for international travel.

They were told, for example, that they should look like men in their passport photo because of a memorandum from the Department of ForeignAffairs.

Police officers and members of the military have also been known for harassing, bullying and ridiculing transgender women, according to the paper.

In some instances, LGBTs were arbitrarily detained, asked or ordered to provide sexual favors just because they are different.

The paper also said that the government has adopted an “uneven approach” to advancing the rights of the LGBT community.

For example, despite pressure from civil society activities in the country, in 2013 the Philippine government did not join discussions on and chose to abstain from voting in support of a UN declaration calling for an end to extrajudicial killings based on sexual orientation.

Baguilat said it was time that a law that will prevent discrimination be put in place, and this should help reduce joblessness and underemployment and end violence against LGBTs.

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Decriminalizing premature marriage

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

Here is good news for widows wanting another lease in life with another man.

There is now a law abolishing the Revised Penal Code provision that makes it illegal for a woman to marry within certain conditions after the death of her husband or annulment of marriage.

President Benigno S. Aquino III signed on March 13  Republic Act No. 10655, An Act Repealing the Crime of Premature Marriage under Article 351 of Act No. 3815 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).

Under the RPC which was enacted in 1930, a woman who shall marry within 301 days from the date of the death of her husband, or before child delivery if she is pregnant at the time of his death shall be punished by imprisonment ranging from one month and one day to six months and a fine not exceeding 500 pesos.

The same criminal prohibitions apply in case of annulment or dissolution of her previous marriage. There is no such criminal prohibition for husbands.

Philippine Commission on Women executive director Emmeline L. Verzosa noted that the reason for having the said provision in the penal code which is to prevent doubtful paternity of a child is already addressed under the 1987 Family Code of the Philippines (FCP). Article 168 of the FCP provides for the rule to determine paternity and filiation of a child born by a woman who contracted another marriage within 300 days from the termination of the previous marriage.

Articles 170 and 171 provide remedies by which the legitimacy of a child born under such circumstances may be questioned, while Articles 103 and 130 address concerns about property relations. Moreover, advances in science and technology like DNA testing to determine paternity is now available.

“We welcome this development! The old law curtails a woman’s right to marry and bars her enjoyment of equal rights with men on matters relating to marriage and family relations. As signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Philippine government is obliged to review laws and repeal provisions that continue to discriminate against women,” Verzosa said.

She added that this is a step further in implementing the Magna Carta of Women. Its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) list some of the old laws that need to be revised or repealed such as other provisions of the RPC on adultery and concubinage, prostitution, and death under exceptional circumstances.

The list, which is part of the PCW’s priority legislative agenda, also includes amendments to the Family Code provisions that say husband’s or father’s decision must prevail on matters regarding administration and enjoyment of properties and exercise of parental authority, among others.

Bills addressing the aforementioned  provisions are now pending in Congress.

Meanwhile, even as divorce proponents in the country are pressing for this, some are proposing that marriage should be contractual – say five or 10 years, or even three years before it is automatically voided unless renewed by spouses.

Proponents of separation say there are a lot of marriages which are indeed doomed and there is need for spouses to be separated like in cases wherein there is habitual infidelity, cruelty or among others like when a spouse always fools the other  on material or money matters and habitually (that word again) lies through the teeth but that is another issue for another column.

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Getting married, divorced

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – Despite the prophesy of the Mayan Calendar that Dec. 12, 2012 would be the “end of the World,” more than a dozen couples tied the knot here during the “lucky date,” the last triple number sequence date of the century.

Christmas should be a time for loving, was their sentiment. Besides, they said, the cool weather of this City of Pines made it an ideal venue for honeymoon. So who cares about the end of the world, might as well die loving.

The past years, church records here bared most coupes married in the month of June. But this year, Bishop Carlito Cenzon of the Diocese of Baguio City and Benguet said December was chosen by more couples particularly Dec. 12 notwithstanding the doomsday scenario.

Cenzon said the “end of the world” could not be predicted as only God knows when life should end. Doomsday was not given much importance in this summer capital as most parishes were booked for weddings.

“I was requested to solemnize several weddings this December due to the busy schedules of parish priests in wedding ceremonies and other tasks in their churches,” Cenzon said.

Explaining why many couples choose to get married in the last month of the year, Cenzon said, “December is a time to celebrate life, inaalala natin ang Pasko at ang kapanganakan ni Cristo.” The Bishop added weather in  December here is good as no strong  typhoons were  expected

Cenzon earlier reminded marrying couples not to put meaning  on wedding  dates such as 12-12-12.  “Para sa akin ang mga numbers na ganyan is a matter of choice, para madaling maalala.”

According to the bishop, the true essence of getting married is having a family and making marriage work between couples. “Marriage is a two-way traffic, they have to make it work, it does not depend on the weather, it does not depend on the time, nasa attitude.”

Meanwhile,   couples Reniel Laureta, 27, and Allesie Gail Abubo, 29, told the media they chose   to get married Dec. 12 since the “lucky date” happens once in a lifetime and the last triple digit sequence of the century. 

Laureta said they originally planned to get married on Oct. 11, 2012 or 10-11-12 but decided on 12-12-12 at the Baguio Cathedral where the grandparents of the bride also  got married.

Abubo  added  they  decided to marry on that date to let their visitors coming from Manila, where the groom is from, and elsewhere  to  enjoy the city’s cool  climate  especially  in  December when  the temperature drops.

                        ***

While there are others who would like to get married, there are others who would like to get “un-married” like those who would like to get out from the mess they are in fast – through a divorce law considering that getting annulments in this Banana Republic takes long, very tedious and expensive.  

Before the Christmas break, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. expressed support for a long-pending bill seeking to legalize divorce in the country, but said the controversial measure would not likely be passed in the 15th Congress. “It’s hard for a couple when the situation becomes intolerable,” he added.        

Belmonte’s remarks came after the House and the Senate on Dec. 17 passed the Reproductive Health bill that was strongly opposed by the Catholic Church.

House Bill 1799, seeking to legalize divorce, was filed by Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan.

The measure has remained pending before the committee on revision of laws since 2011. It is also strongly opposed by Catholic bishops who said it would destroy families.

Ilagan, however, said House leaders should not be quick to dismiss the divorce bill.“While many consider the proposal to introduce divorce in the Philippines as highly controversial, this should not prevent the bill from going through the entire course of the legislative mill. Let us not close doors on divorce and instead, give the bill a fair chance,” she said in a statement.

“We should at the very least be open to discussions and hear all arguments for and against the measure,” she added.

Ilagan said bills should not automatically be dismissed or shelved just because the Catholic Church opposes it.

She said while the divorce bill may not be acceptable to certain sectors, it is a much-needed measure for many women and men trapped in violent, abusive and irreparable marriages.

Bayan Muna Rep. Ner iColmenares earlier said the need for the enactment of a divorce law has become urgent as the number of couples seeking to annul their marriages continued to increase, at over 8,000 cases as recorded by the Office of the Solicitor General in 2011.

           

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Survey shows how Baguio couples spend quality time together

By Redjie Cawis

BAGUIO CITY – Saying  I love you through phone calls and text messages  and  going  to malls regularly for shopping, dining  or other activities are among the  high points of a   survey   on  how couples spend quality time with each other and  with their children  in this city

Saint Louis University professor and statistician Zenaida Garambas said that they conducted a random survey among couples in Baguio City as part of the National Family Week Celebration this September.

But Garambas, who is also a member of the National Family Week Steering Committee, said couples nowadays are less expressive in showing their love to each other.

Many couples are not showy or do not show public display of affection like kissing  in public   when  saying goodbye when parting.

They also do not have  romantic  dinners   or activities just for the couples.

           

Association of Barangay Captain s president and city councilor Joel Alangsab said the survey does not capture the whole of Baguio City but only a few who were surveyed.

           

But even if this is the case, he said  couples need to be still romantic with their wives  or  husbands to have a better relationship with each other.

           

“Ang mga residente ditto sa Baguio at sa mga karatig lugar sa Cordillera ay hindi showy, we hide our feelings lalo na sa publiko pero hindi ibig sabihin na hindi nila mahal ang isa’t isa,” (Residents in Baguio and in the Cordillera are not showy , we hide our feelings  in public but it does not mean that we do not love each other),  Alangsab said.

           

On the other hand, sociologist Maria Aplaten explained that the Cordillerans are really not that expressive of how they love their partners. 

           

Cordillerans, she said, are by nature not expressive or display their affection in public but rather they show it  in action  through  the accomplishment for their families.  

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Ifugao folks revive cultural practice of choosing spouse

By Dan B. Codamon

HINGYON, Ifugao --After decades of not practicing certain Ifugao traditions due to influence of modern and western culture, the people of this municipality revived  an ancient tradition of choosing a spouse called “ballihung.”

           

Held recently at Barangay Piwong, during the recent town fiesta, all eligible male and female who were ready to settle down were invited to join and experience the cultural practice of their ancestors and select their future spouses.

           

The “Ballihung” is an ancient Ifugao culture which involves a “mumbaki” or native priest who prepares young people to get married by getting them to know their future partners in life. 

           

In case an available young lady known as “maddikit” or young gentleman called “bulalaki n ginid” is ready to be wed, the family celebrates the “ballihung” and invites all people in the community to participate and witness the celebration.

           

The celebrant chooses from among invited “bulalaki n ginid,”  in case of a lady or from among the “ma-maddikit” , in case of a gentleman.

           

The chosen lady  gives  a valuable necklace known as “inipul” to the gentleman to show her love and affection in case the gentleman proposes to her, then they exchange “momayahapid” (betel nut and betel leaf) to signify their union.

           

Ceremonies are held after the couple agrees to become husband and wife as depicted in the olden Ifugao practice of courtship and marriage rites.

           

Councilor Emilio Bay-ong, one of the organizers of the event, said they decided to include this ancient cultural practice as an added activity in their recent town fiesta to give more entertainment to the people and visitors and let the youth have a glimpse of the cultural ceremonies and practices of their ancestors in the olden days.

           

He said since this was the first time they conducted this event and many people enjoyed it, they will again perform during the town fiesta next year with more improvement and more participation.

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Couple gives substance to gold wedding anniversary

By Ramon Dacawi

NAGUILLAN, La Union -- The theme was gold but Pete and Velma Ferrer found no need to have the precious, yellow metal molded into anniversary rings to mark their wedding 50 years ago to the day last March 14 here in the town church.

Instead, the couple found themselves at home in a two-classroom school building in Magungunay, a remote barangay in Naguilian that was celebrating its fiesta.

Pete and Velma grew up in Baguio and in the mining camps of Benguet. For years now, they have been residents of Northern California where Pete served as a U.S. military serviceman. For years now, they have been tracing their roots to Naguilian through community outreach work that, aside from kin, gives substance to their homecomings.

That’s why last March 12, the couple traveled from Baguio by bus, to be in Magungunay in time for the barangay fiesta. Barangay residents led by village chief Tony Quinones deemed it only fitting to have the community celebration coincide with the couple’s golden anniversary – and the blessing of a two-classroom school building.

Instead of a cake with golden icing, the couple came home with bags of goodies and school supplies. These were for Magungunay’s toddlers who go to class in the school building the couple donated three years ago.
“This school building is the second funded by Pete and Velma,” recalled Steve Mallari, a resident and volunteer who helped supervise the construction. “The first was a classroom for kids of Bariquir, another barangay here in Naguilian.”

No strangers to community work, Pete and Velma have been supporting humanitarian and service causes, be it in their personal or formal capacity. They are involved as donors in the “GawadKalinga” housing program. For years, they’ve opened their home to visitors from Naguilian, Baguio and the Cordillera and from wherever, long before Pete served as president of the Baguio Californians, the organization of expatriates who trace their roots to Baguio.

Late in 2008, the couple sent out invitation cards for Velma’s birthday in their home in California. Instead of cakes and personal gifts, Velma asked guests to contribute love notes and donations so that together, they could build the school in Magungunay.

Asked to speak their piece at the fiesta, the couple pointed out that the school building stands as a monument to the cooperation of expatriates, the political leadership of Naguilian and the town’s residents.

That’s why the tandem of former town vice-mayor and now mayor Reynaldo Flores and former mayor and now vice-mayor Abraham Rimando led town officials in gracing Magungunay’s fiesta.

Breaking protocol, mayor Flores served as master of ceremonies in the program that also saw him leading the town’s civil servants to a “hataw” mass exercise.

That’s why Baguio city councilor Nicasio Aliping Jr. motored down for the school blessing and inauguration. He has been witness to how Pete and Velma, his own brother Joel and other members of the Baguio Californians and the BIBAK of Northern California would open their homes and drive for visiting Filipinos, be they from Baguio, Naguilian, the Cordillera or wherever.

In a way, he was expecting to witness Pete and Velma renew their marriage vows in church. Instead, the couple felt it equally fulfilling to witness with the rest of the community the blessing of the two –classroom building by Fr. Benjie Manzano. The structure stands on a 2,000-square meter lot that VillamorEstilong, son-in-law of village chief Quinones, had donated. For the moment, the two classrooms serve as an annex of the Ambaracao Sur Elementary School under principal Gina Dacayanan.

With the steady growth of the school population, the two-classroom affair will eventually grow into a full elementary school. Kapitan Quinones apparently envisions this eventuality. At his turn to speak, he assured the community of his son-in-law’s intention to donate more of his property for the expansion. That means the partnership for Magungunay’s future triggered by a couple’s sense of community will go far beyond the Ferrers’ golden wedding anniversary.

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