Fewer marriages, and at a later age

FEWER COUPLES are getting married and those who choose to tie the knot are doing so at a later age, government data showed, as weddings become more and more expensive.

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The total number of registered marriages in the country went down by 2.0% to 482,480 in 2010 from 492,254 in 2009, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) said. More couples preferred civil weddings, with 209,952 registered marriages.

Catholic weddings dipped by a little less than a percent to 169,034 in 2010 from 170,502 in 2009.

The average age of brides stood at 26.1 in 2010, up from 25.8 in 2007. On the average, grooms chose to get married at the age of 29.1, also up from 28.8 in 2007.

Experts blame the obsession for the “perfect wedding.”

“Marriage in the Philippines is very cultural and social in the sense that it would require a big celebration,” said Michael L. Tan, anthropologist and dean of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of the Philippines.

Mr. Tan noted that it often took years for couples to get married because they had to save up for the wedding.

For the past 10 years, registered marriages went down by an average 1.5%. The year 2005 recorded the steepest drop of 10.9% or 518,595.

The NSCB released the figures in time for the wedding month of June, although data showed that about a third of couples chose to marry in May, December, and January.

Joseph Albert Nino M. Bulan, co-author of the report, noted that registered marriages have been on the decline since 2001.

“Year-on-year the NSO [National Statistics Office] recorded six years with fewer number of marriages,” Mr. Bulan said. “It could be because of practicality,” he added.

Mr. Tan agreed, saying: “Other couples want a trial period just to make sure that they are going to marry the right person.”

“For example, quite a few who belong to the upper class of the society where money is not an issue want to live together first,” he said.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, however, has questions on the NSCB data.

Ma. Corazon E. Yamsuan, director of the Archdiocesan Office of Communication, said data may not be telling the whole story.

“It is possible that those who got married civilly also had a church wedding on the same year,” Ms. Yamsuan said.

“I am certain that the number of church marriages is not declining. In fact couples would need to reserve a church six months or one year before their wedding date.”

Data also showed that the National Capital Region had the most weddings, with a share of 15.9%, followed by Region IV-A (12.9%) and Region III (12.6%).

The regions with the least number of registered marriages in 2010 were Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (0.4%), Cordillera Administrative Region (1.9%) and Caraga region (2.4%). — Daniel Anne N. Rodriguez, BUsinessworld