North Luzon Monitor

North Luzon

On Weddings and Divorces

JP Villanueva
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While browsing through Facebook earlier, I came across the news about Medwin Marfil, the lead vocalist of the 90s band True Faith, getting married in California. He married his partner, Mark Angeles. It was really a surprise to me because I had no inclinations ever since the 90s when that band was very popular that Medwin is gay. There were so many girls (and gays) who swooned over him because of the band’s songs like Perfect and Huwag na lang kaya.

Don’t get me wrong, I was surprised because I didn’t think he was gay, not because of anything else. I, of all people, would be the last to be a bigot. However, when I had the luxury of time to read the comments on that feed, I got sad, mad and disappointed at the reactions of many netizens regarding this news.

It is frustrating that at this age and time, I would still read comments about “espadahan” or “sino ang bride at sino ang groom?” I don’t know if they were just being funny but these people and comments are not funny at all. There are still many people who are pea-brained who are very courageous to display their ignorance on social media.

It also angers me that there are so many self-righteous people playing the religion card. Netizens commenting that “God made only male and female”, “living in sin”, and “dito pa lang sa lupa, sinusunog na ang kaluluwa nila sa impiyerno.” Come on, people, do you think you are better than them just because you can quote lines from the bible?

It is sad that there are people who are close-minded nowadays. So, it got me thinking, how can economics explain this kind of attitude and thinking?

First, is taste-based discrimination. This theory suggests that individuals or firms may hold prejudiced attitudes or discriminatory behavior because they simply derive utility or satisfaction from doing so. In economic terms, they have a “taste” for discrimination. This could be based on cultural upbringing, social norms, or personal beliefs. People would have negative reactions to these kinds of situations because they get satisfaction from doing so. And nowadays, it is so easy for them to get this satisfaction, especially because they can broadcast their biases with the benefit of anonymity.

Another is group threat theory. From a sociological perspective, this theory suggests that prejudice and discrimination can arise when one group perceives another group as a threat to its economic or social status. Economic competition, scarcity of resources, or perceived loss of privilege can fuel resentment and prejudice towards the perceived “threatening” group. This may be more predominant for females reacting on gay (men) marriages, because this would of course diminish their opportunities of finding their partner from the opposite gender.

Although these two theories somehow explain this biased attitude against same sex marriage, these do not justify such attitudes to be normal or even acceptable. This kind of thinking only proves that our country is still a long way from accepting or even legalizing same sex unions.

On the other hand, divorce is another hotly argued topic in the Philippines. The Philippines remains the only country in the world aside from Vatican City without a legal provision for divorce.

Another news article that came up in my Facebook newsfeed reported that on May 15, lawmakers approved on second reading House Bill 9349, which provides divorce as the fourth way for couples to separate. The others include legal separation, annulment or dissolution of marriage.

According to Congressman Edcel Lagman of Albay, we need a divorce law because the present modes may be insufficient to give complete relief to spouses in distress. Furthermore, these available ways are expensive and take a long time to be decided upon.

In the previous congress, the divorce bill was approved on third reading, while the similar bill that was filed in the Senate by Senator Risa Hontiveros was abandoned at committee level because the senators were not able to discuss the proposed bill.

Efforts to introduce divorce legislations have faced significant opposition from various sectors, including religious groups, especially the very powerful Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, and conservative lawmakers, including Senator Joel Villanueva who chairs the committee on rule and is open and loud at that in his opposition. Sen. Villanueva is the son of a religious leader, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Jesus is Lord Church.

While thinking about divorce and what could be economic theories that can explain the thinking of these people who are against divorce. I realized that the theories above that explained bigotry towards same sex unions are the same theories that can explain anti-divorce stands.

Taste-based discrimination. There are just some people (and groups) who insist on their stand because they derive utility or satisfaction from it. The religious groups and their leaders are pushy in shoving their doctrines and beliefs into the throats of their faithful because they can. Not thinking that people who are in dangerous marriages are suffering in silence because they do not have recourse. They remain in their abusive marriages because they have no way out of it.

For group threat theory, prejudice and discrimination can arise when one group perceives another group as a threat to its economic or social status. Economic competition, scarcity of resources, or perceived loss of privilege can fuel resentment and prejudice towards the perceived “threatening” group. Religious groups are concerned that people go into marriage without carefully thinking about the responsibilities that go with it just because they have an easy way out when divorce is legalized. Or single people’s chances of marrying could be diminished because divorcees may become their rivals as well.

The bottomline is the fear of uncertainty that goes with same sex unions and divorce fuels the fire of people to be against these. They are afraid of what the repercussions will be if these are legalized in the Philippines. But the thing is, in every situation, there will always be two sides, the pros and the cons, the benefits and the drawbacks, the advantages and the disadvantages, the positives and the negatives. If we keep on focusing on the negatives, we may never realize that the positives may outweigh all the doubts and fears that we have, and there’s no way to realize that unless and until we take a risk and let these happen.

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