Marriage and Divorce in Colonial and Contemporary Philippines

Presented by the Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Barnard College

Issues of marriage and divorce remain contentious in the Philippines, but the history of marriage remains unexplored. When the Spanish established colonial rule and Catholicism in the 16th century, they also introduced new laws regulating marriage in the Philippines, and by the 19th century ecclesiastical and civil courts ofte nheard suits concerning “Matrimonies,” “Adulteries,” “Divorces,” and “Concubinage.” These cases reveal the contested nature of marriage and domestic relations in colonial society, and the challenges posed by ordinary people to colonial law. This paper uses these cases to explore marriage as a legal institution and a set of social practices, and to illuminate the role of Catholicism and civil law in shaping private and public lives in Philippine colonial society. It will also reflect on how marriage laws, which were direct impositions of the Spanish colonizing process, continue to shape the debates about divorce in contemporary Philippines.

About the Speaker 

Vina A. Lanzona teaches in the History Department at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, where she also served as a Director of the Center for Philippine Studies. Her first book entitled Amazons of the Huk Rebellion: Gender, Sex, and Revolution as well as subsequent works were inspired by her twin passions for studying revolution and the role of women in political change in the modern Philippines.

Her current project moves to the Spanish colonial period and the enduring relationship between the Philippines and Spain. She is currently working on the social history of marriage and divorce in the colonial Philippines and the role of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

Accessibility

This event is free and open to the public. The venue is mobility accessible.