‘Contextual’

Perlita Frago-Marasigan, political science professor at University of the Philippines, said public opinions are “contextual,” as one’s perception reflects the circumstances and the contexts that they are in.

“I have reasons to believe that cultural globalization facilitated by a global media has contributed to the shaping of these opinions,” she told TheTimes . “Migration and cultural exchanges also have made the changing views possible.”

She also said more people have become tolerant of “trial marriages” and “cohabitation” because of what they see in the movies or “modern family” television series, “which are validated by what they encounter in real life.”

Apart from this, Marasigan noted that education has also empowered men, women, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and allied community “to free themselves from the conservative mold.”

“Either they are now more career- oriented and postpone marriage for later or leave marriages to cut their losses for better careers,’’ she said. ‘’ Those who are more empowered cohabitate or settle for friendships ‘ with

- ence of the church as an institution “is still there and has always been there, but support for its advocacies is now divided.” But she noted that more than religion, poverty limits the choices of the Filipinos.

marriages gone awry.’’