The Social Weather Stations on Saturday disclosed 61 percent of adult Filipinos disagreed while 22 percent agreed there should be a law allowing the civil union of same-sex couples—data the Catholic Church immediately welcomed.
The Catholic Church maintained that marriage was a permanent union of man and woman.
In the SWS survey released during the weekend, the data suggested more than half of Filipino adults or at least 61 percent were not in favor of same-sex marriage or 61 percent while 22 percent agreed but that there must be a law to allow the civil union of same-sex couples.
“The Church continues to maintain what it has always taught,” the CBCP in its website said.
In the 2018 first quarter survey results, the SWS said 61 percent of the respondents disagreed, 44 percent strongly disagreed and 17 percent somewhat disagreed.
Of the 22 percent who agreed, 8 percent strongly agreed and 14 percent somewhat agreed.
The remaining 16 percent were undecided about the matter.
Conducted from March 23 to 27, 2018, the results gave the survey a net agreement score of -40, classified by SWS as “very weak.”
By religion, net agreement was lowest among Iglesia ni Cristo members at -64 (11 percent agree, 74 percent disagree), followed by members of other Christian denominations at -55 (15 percent agree, 70 percent disagree), Muslims at -48 (12 percent agree, 60 percent disagree), and Roman Catholics at -36 (24 percent agree, 60 percent disagree).
Opposition to the civil union of a same-sex couple was strongest among single men who are widowed/separated/divorced, with a score of -70 (7 percent agree, 77 percent disagree).
Meanwhile, net agreement was very weak among married men at -49 (18 percent agree, 67 percent disagree), married women at -45 (20 percent agree, 65 percent disagree), single women who are widowed/separated/divorced at -37 (22 percent agree, 59 percent disagree), and single women who never married at -30 (21 percent agree, 51 percent disagree).
It was moderately weak among women with live-in partners at 27 (31 percent agree, 58 percent disagree), men with live-in partners at -25 (33 percent agree, 58 percent disagree), and single men who never married at -18 (28 percent agree, 46 percent disagree).
In terms of religion, the survey found that net agreement was lowest among the Iglesia ni Cristo at an extremely weak -64 (11 percent agreed, 74 percent disagreed, correctly rounded), followed by members of other Christian denominations at an extremely weak -55 (15 percent agreed, 70 percent disagreed), Muslims at a very weak -48 (12 percent agreed, 60 percent disagreed), and Roman Catholics at a very weak -36 (24 percent agreed, 60 percent disagreed). Vito Barcelo
The SWS indicated participants of the survey were composed of 66 percent of men were married, 20 percent have never been married, 11 percent have live-in partners, and 4 percent were singles who were either widowed, separated or divorced.
Among women, 54 percent were married, 19 percent have live-in partners, 15 percent were single who were either widowed, separated or divorced, and 12 percent have never married.