DIVINE WORD MISSION SEMINARY

Maverick Jann Mendoza Esteban

SVD III

Cultural Anthropology
Rev. Dr. Edgar Javier, SVD, PhD, SThD, DMiss

Should same sex marriage be allowed in the Philippines?

One of the hottest debated issues now in the world is the topic concerning the legalization
of same sex marriage. More and more states are making the said matter legal. Nevertheless, the
question is should same sex marriage be pass in our country. Perhaps marriage between the same
sexes is possible in other states. In my opinion, same sex marriage here in the Philippines must
not be allowed. It should not be pass into law. Same sex marriage is unconstitutional and not in
lieu with our cultural norms.
In general, Western Culture considers marriage as an exclusive and permanent bond
between male and female. Though this is the most common notion of what marriage is it varies
from culture to culture. In the Philippines, being conquered by countries in the West, we follow
the same pattern of marrying as that of European or American way of marriage. For so long, we
have observed and preserved the moral standard that marriage is between a male and a female.
This culture of marrying only between a male and a female has caught our habitual obedience for
many, many years and has defined to concrete sense our definition and perception of marriage. I,
as a Filipino, upon hearing the word marriage, form in my mind an exclusive sexual
relationship between man and woman. Hence, the concept of marriage between same sexes alters
our cultural perspective which was forged in time.
Another point why same sex marriage should not be passed is that it is not according to
our constitution. According to the revised Philippine Constitution of 1987 Marriage, as an
inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State
(Art. XV, Sec. 2). One of the purposes of family in the society is to produce citizen who will
continue the existential lineage. In other words, married couple should produce following
citizens but exemption is given to parties who are impotent or incapable of bearing a child due to
some circumstances.
The Family Code of the Philippines tells us that marriage is a special contract of
permanent union between a man and woman entered into in accordance with law for the
establishment of conjugal family life (Title I, Chpt.1, Art. 1). An emphasis should be give in
the words between a man and a woman. Just this phrase tells us that same sex marriage is and
should not be made legal in our country. Being homosexual is one of the grounds or conditions

of legal separation (Family Code of the Philippines, Title II, Art. 55 6). Hence one cannot
marry his own sex type.
Though we have sufficient laws and ordinances that tell us the conditions of marrying,
this does mean that same sex marriage will not be legal in the distant future. These laws are just
made by the lawyers during certain times in order to address and national need. Who knows, we
may have some unconstitutional law makers in the coming generations and may pass the bill
legalizing same sex marriage in the Philippines.

SOURCES:
1987 Philippiine Constitution
The Family Code of the Philippines (Executive Order No. 209) 1988 Edition