Unlike how it's often portrayed in books, movies, or TV, a meet-cute doesn't always realistically entail automatic compatibility. Relationships need effort in order for it to actually work. While some arguments could be solved with proper communication (and maybe after a good pagsuyo), there are also irreconcilable differences in partnerships that are impossible to get through. And that's the reason why there are couples who choose to end their relationships or even marriages. In the Philippines, the only legal way to do this at the moment is by getting an annulment.
Socialite and model Mikaela Martinez—whom '90s kids may remember as the magazine covergirl—opens up about the struggles of getting an annulment in the Philippines. On Instagram, she details, "Smiling but dying on the inside. How can one feel so trapped just because the Philippine government has the final say on your marriage? It is so unfair, and feels like hell when even if you're physically apart—harassment, threats, lies, verbal abuse—it does not end. Things that people DON'T see! It's the worst kind of torment... I just want it to end."
View this post on Instagram
She added, "Two years has passed and yet the annulment is long, mentally and emotionally draining, reliving the past over and over and over—trying to defend yourself to a judge for something that kills you literally to your core. And he will always have a say 'because he's my husband'? I'm sorry, but F all this crap! Time to pass DIVORCE in this country. I've been quiet but ENOUGH is enough!"
Ending her post, Mikaela wrote, "We should be able to decide because we're the ones living and waking up to this realty everyday! Not the judge, not the government! We are the only country that has no divorce. Wake up! #YEStoDivorce #PhilippineGovernment"
Meanwhile, support flooded Mikaela's replies. Some of them including her industry friends Andi Manzano, Kelly Misa, and Bianca Gonzales-Intal.
ALSO READ: Mikaela Martinez Hints At Being A *Single Mom* After Posting Holiday Photos Without Husband
Mikaela Martinez's Marriage History
News about Mikaela and her husband Chucho Martinez's marriage falling apart first came out in 2022. Later on, she ignited the speculations through an Instagram post where she cryptically wrote about "ending the year alone." In 2023, she then took to Instagram to share about her experience co-parenting, saying, "Co-parenting. No one talks about it. The difficulty, the balancing act. Getting along with someone you basically ended a marriage with. Raising children in two different homes. It's just as hard, or even harder than the break up itself. From love, to war, to communicating all over again."
In the end, she wrote, "It's amazing how you can move forward in peace and still be a family even when a marriage ends. Because dad will always be dad—and mom will always be mom. Our family is our family no matter what it looks like. In the end; we can all just focus on being better in a setup that works for us. It's not perfect, but in the end, our kids know that we love them like crazy and nothing is more important than that."
View this post on Instagram
Divorce and Annulment Cost And Rates in the Philippines
Apart from the Vatican, the Philippines is the only place in the world that still does not allow divorce. And unfortunately, annulments take both time and financial resource. The cost for filing an annulment, according to Respicio & Co Law Firm anges from P100,000 to P500,000 for lawyer's fees alone. That would still also depende on the laywer's reputation and of course, the complexity of the case. Other fees to think about are court fees that range between P20,000 to P100,000. In some cases, if psychological incapacity is cited as a ground for annulment, evaluations and related exams may cost another P20,000 to P100,000.
Meanwhile, according to Yap Kung Ching & Associates Law, data from the Office of the Solicitor general cite that in 2017, more than 8,100 people filed for an annulment in the Philippines. At the same time, among this number, 7,930 were considered as null entries and only 29 were actually granted the request.
However, in May of 2024, the House Bill (HB) 9439 or the proposed Absolute Divorce Act has been approved with 126 lawmakers voting in favor for it. It has since then advanced to the final reading.
ALSO READ: What's The Difference Between Divorce, Annulment, Legal Separation, And Nullity Of Marriage?
