In a historic legislative move, the House of Representatives has passed House Bill (HB) 9349, also known as the “Absolute Divorce Act,” which aims to allow absolute divorce as a legal recourse for Filipino couples trapped in irreparably broken marriages.

For pro-divorce advocates in the Philippines, the absence of divorce as a legal option significantly hinders couples from severing ties and, most crucially, escaping violent and abusive relationships.

Although couples seeking to end their marriage can try annulment or declaration of marriage invalidity from courts, the process is slow and costly — starting from at least P100,000 — with no guaranteed outcome.

In some cases, couples who are desperate for quicker resolutions fall victim to online scams. Other couples, meanwhile, opt to live separately while remaining legally bound in long-dead marriages.

Despite these arguments, in a 131-109-20 vote, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading the proposed Absolute Divorce Act, a bill allowing absolute divorce in the country.