{"id":7067438,"date":"2026-09-26T13:06:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T13:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/business\/legal\/may-divorce-na-ba-sa-pilipinas-2026-update\/"},"modified":"2026-09-26T13:06:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T13:06:06","slug":"may-divorce-na-ba-sa-pilipinas-2026-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7067438","title":{"rendered":"May Divorce Na Ba sa Pilipinas? 2026 Update"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The short answer: wala pa.<\/strong> As of July 2026, the Philippines still has no divorce law for the general population \u2014 we remain the only country in the world, aside from Vatican City, without one. (Muslim Filipinos are the exception: divorce has long been available under Presidential Decree 1083<\/a>, the Code of Muslim Personal Laws.)<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019ve been seeing headlines and asking \u201ctotoo ba?\u201d<\/em> \u2014 here\u2019s exactly where things stand, and more importantly, what your real options are today<\/strong> if you\u2019re a Filipino in Canada whose marriage has ended in everything but paperwork.<\/p>\n

What actually happened to the divorce bill<\/h2>\n

In May 2024, history was made: the House of Representatives passed House Bill 9349, the Absolute Divorce Act<\/strong><\/a>, on third and final reading \u2014 by a razor-thin 131\u2013109 vote. It was the first time a divorce bill ever got that far.<\/p>\n

Then it hit the Senate. And there it sat \u2014 until the 19th Congress ended in June 2025 without a Senate vote. Under Philippine legislative rules, that means HB 9349 is dead<\/strong>. It didn\u2019t carry over; it lapsed.<\/p>\n

In the 20th Congress, which opened July 2025, divorce advocates started over<\/a>. Several measures have been refiled \u2014 including House Bill 108 and House Bill 210 \u2014 but as of this writing, none has passed either chamber. Lawmakers have been trying since 2005. It may pass someday. It has not passed yet.<\/p>\n

Ang ibig sabihin:<\/strong> kung may nagsabi sa\u2019yo na \u201cpwede ka nang mag-divorce sa Pilipinas\u201d \u2014 hindi pa po totoo. Anyone charging you fees for a \u201cPhilippine divorce\u201d today is selling something that does not exist.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s what many Filipinos in Canada don\u2019t realize<\/h2>\n

If you live in Canada, you don\u2019t have to wait for the Philippine Congress.<\/strong> Canadian law already gives you options \u2014 and for many of our kababayan, the wait for a PH divorce law was never actually necessary.<\/p>\n

1. You can divorce in Canada \u2014 even if you married in the Philippines<\/h3>\n

Canadian courts can dissolve your marriage if you or your spouse has been habitually resident in a province for at least one year<\/strong> \u2014 regardless of where you married, and regardless of your citizenship. Permanent residents, work permit holders, even those without status can qualify on residence.<\/p>\n

Two things surprise people the most:<\/p>\n