MANILA, Philippines — Karen, not her real name, recalled the time when her parents separated, she

was just 12 years old. After that she had lost motivation to finish her studies.
“Gusto kong huminto na lang sa pag-aaral para hindi ako naiinggit, para hindi rin ako lagi
tinatanong ‘nasaan ang tatay mo bakit di mo kasama’,” said Karen.
(I no longer wanted to continue my studies so that I wouldn’t feel envious of others, and so that no
one will ask me anymore where my father is and why he is not with me.)
Psychologist Dr. Camille Garcia said that what Karen experienced is an emotional impact of having
separated parents.
Now that the divorce bill is being pushed in the House of Representatives (HoR), Garcia is worried
about the more negative effects of a broken family on children.
Stubbornness is also one effect of parental separation.
The worst, the psychologist noted, is when a child begins to think that separation among married
couples is normal.
“Baka mamaya magkaroon sila ng confusion na ayoko na ng kasal. Ayoko na maging binding.
Ayoko ng commitment kasi ganito nangyari sa parents ko, nagkaroon ng commitment tapos inanak
lang kami, after two years wala na,” said the psychologist.
(They might get confused. They might no longer want marriage, or commitment because they would
think it’s what normally happens. They will just conceive children, and then after two years, they will
separate.)
Congressman Edcel Lagman is pushing for the passage of the proposed bill which seeks to legalize
and make easier the process of divorce.
However, Lagman’s ally in the minority group, Magdalo partylist Rep. Gary Alejano, expressed
opposition to the proposal.
“If open door sa mabilis na maghiwalay, marami na maghihiwalay. Kawawa ang mga anak. We
should strengthen the family (If we provide an open door to easier separation, the children will
suffer. We should strengthen the family.) ,” said Alejano.

The effects on children include academic, behavioral, and psychological

problems. Studies suggest that children from divorced families are more
likely to exhibit such behavioral issues than those from non-divorced families.

The Effects of Divorce on Society. Divorce can save people from a bad
marriage, but research has shown that it can also debilitate a society.
Divorced adults are more likely to become impoverished while
their children experience psychological and economic stress hindering their
social development.

Children from divorced families may experience more externalizing

problems, such as conduct disorders, delinquency, and impulsive behavior
than kids from two-parentfamilies. In addition to increased behavior
problems, children may also experience more conflict with peers after
a divorce.Mar 25, 2019