10yr Validity of Marriage Proposed in the Philippines

A party list group in the Philippines called 1-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA) representing separated and abandoned women are proposing the enactment of a law that will put an expiration date on marriage. A 10-yr validity to help incompatible couples from the expenses of legal proceedings. According to them marriage should be like that of a passport or a driver’s license that expires if not renewed. Here are a couple of articles about the proposal.

“MANILA, Philippines – A party-list group representing separated and abandoned women proposed yesterday the enactment of a law that will mandate a 10-year marriage validity to spare incompatible couples the expense of lengthy legal proceedings before their marriages are annulled.  The women’s party-list group 1-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA) said that marriage licenses should be similar to passports that could be renewed, but marriage licenses should have an expiration period of at least 10 years. Failure to renew the license would automatically render the marriage null and void…” – Philstar.com

“Under its proposal, a woman (and/or her husband) who have been validly and legally married — meaning that they are both 18 years of age or older who have freely given their consent in a marriage ceremony held before an authorized solemnizing officer and at least two other witnesses after obtaining a valid marriage license from the local Civil Registrar — can automatically get out of such relationship and marry again simply because she or her husband or both cannot get along with each other anymore. They can do so by just waiting for the lapse of ten years because under the proposed law, the marriage license is valid only for ten years and unless renewed it becomes invalid. This women’s group is of the belief that since the license of their marriage is no longer valid and existing, the marriage solemnized under such license automatically ceases to exist…” -Jose Sison, Philstar.com