11 Strange Laws In The Philippines
You've heard the saying, "There's an exception to every rule," but what if there are laws that don't make any sense, and yet they're still enforced? You wouldn't believe the number of laws out there that leave you scratching your head. To make matters worse, some of these laws are so open to interpretation that everyone has their own opinion on how they should be enforced. But the seventh one on our list is the most surprising of them all. So fasten your seatbelts—here are my top picks for the strangest Philippine laws.
1. They Won't Let You In
The Philippines is a beautiful country, but you might not be able to visit if you fit in for any of the following reasons:
People who come with immoral intentions.
If you are not sure what is classified as immoral, use your imagination, (Hint: It rhymes with "text" tourism).
People who believe polygamy is acceptable
Illiterate individuals are not welcome
People who are or have previously been diagnosed as mentally crazy.
These are some of several other reasons on the immigration list, but some stand out a bit more. Remember that immigration officers have the power to deny you entry into the country for any reason they feel like. So be polite and humble when speaking with them.
2. Watch What You Say
The term "libel" has a very broad definition. The Philippines has a somewhat strange mixture of freedom and strict rules about what can be said that you don't have back home. We all need to watch our words in the Philippines, or else we might get into some trouble with the law. You should always make sure everything is factual before speaking in public about anything serious because one wrong word could cause a big problem for you. You can actually be found guilty of libel for tarnishing someone's image, even if what you said is true. So be careful what you are saying.
3. The Age of Majority
Family is sacred in the Philippines so much that it's literally all over the law. If you think coming to this country will give you an easy way of marrying your online love or something like that, and living happily ever after, you're wrong. If she's under 23, her parents must agree to not only let her leave the house but also decide whether or not they approve of who she gets married to. The wedding will be put on hold for three months if they have any objections. In any case, we shouldn't be rushing into such a big commitment.
4. Don't Be Annoying
If you have an obnoxious neighbor, it may be worth your while to do some research on the unjust vexation law. Under this law, someone can file charges against a troublesome person if they are able to prove that the defendant was behaving in such a way as to cause annoyance or inconvenience. There is no guarantee of success, so make sure you think carefully about whether it will help resolve things before making any moves like these.
5. Don't Offend Religious Feelings
The Catholic Church is a huge part of Filipino culture and has been for centuries. There is a lot of religious freedom, but the Philippines is famous for its overwhelming Catholicism, as one would expect from the country with the most Catholics in Asia. While this is an old law, it was put in place way back during Spanish rule, and it's still enforced. Be careful not to offend someone's religious feelings when traveling or living in the country. Any inflammatory comments can lead to jail time, so it's important that you're aware of this law to avoid problems.
6. Alone With a Child
What are the consequences of accompanying a child without being his or her relative? The reality is that it's illegal for you to be alone with someone else's kid, even if your intentions are innocent. There have been several occasions where ex-pats who had no bad intentions and merely wanted to help out, got arrested because they didn't know the legal implications. So what should you do in this situation? Simple. Avoid children not related to you. The penalties can be hefty or even result in prison sentences that could last months or years. Fines could amount to thousands of dollars, so think twice before offering to be a babysitter.
7. No Divorce Allowed
If you get married in the Philippines, it will be a lifelong commitment, so make sure that this is what you want before tying the knot. There are a few ways to end a marriage in the Philippines, but they all come with high price tags and contingencies. The simplest way is an annulment, which requires agreement from both parties as well as proof that one of them is mentally unfit for matrimony. Who wants that on an official record? Apart from that, it may seem simple enough, but this route also comes with its own set of disadvantages. The divorce process can take years. Another big issue is that you'll need a judge's signature on your petition, and if he happens to be a devout Catholic, which we're sure most judges are, then that will be a hard thing to get done.
8. Adultery is Illegal
If you're caught playing around with a married woman, you could face prison time. The woman and man in this story are indeed both guilty. If you knew whether or not she was married, it would be hard to prove it in court. But here is the crazy part: A husband has the freedom to sleep with any single woman they want, as long as they do not financially support their mistress. Married men are the ones who rule when it comes to affairs, so there's nothing the wife can do about the husband cheating on her. But if I were the man and my wife knew I was cheating, I would be very careful to eat any food served by my wife, and I would sleep with one eye open.
9. Anti-distracted Driving Law
When you're driving, it's important that your view is clear and not blocked by anything in the car, phones, air fresheners, ornaments, and those adorable nodding pups, to name a few. It sounds easy enough, but many people have accidentally caused accidents because they were looking at their phone while driving or something else on the dashboard was distracting them from what was happening beyond the windshield. Luckily for us, there are laws to help keep everything safe. So if we can't be mindful of our surroundings as good drivers, these new distracted driver laws will come in handy
10. Do Not Push In Front of Others
This law is called called the Anti-Singit Law. This law was made to prevent individuals from pushing in front of people in lines and trying to jump in queues in the Philippines. Breaking this law could lead you to be imprisoned for up to 30 days or fined up to $5,000. This is an offense that has been seen as a problem by many Filipinos who often endure long waits at various government offices where they get frustrated with those working behind counters who occasionally help the passersby in line before their own customers that were already waiting on them. So you better wait for your turn.
11. Election Decided By Chance
In the Philippines, some village elections are decided by a coin toss. Ties in elections might be determined by chance. The outcome of an election can come down to a game of chance in the event that two candidates are tied. This may sound like an outrageous situation, but it has happened in several villages and towns within the last few years where both candidates got the same amount of votes. With that being said, a coin flip will decide who wins.
After reading through the list of “11 Strange Laws In The Philippines,” it's clear that there are some interesting laws in the country. It's hard to believe that some of these laws still exist today! It's always interesting to learn about the laws in different countries, and the Philippines certainly has some unique laws. It's also important to remember that, though it may seem strange to the people living in the West, their laws are what's right for them, and their country is still functioning to this day. Have you ever heard of any of these laws before? Let me know in the comments.
