By ELLALYN V. RUIZ
Six out of 10 Filipinos oppose same sex marriage, a Social Weather Stations survey has found out.
The nationwide survey conducted from March 23 to March 27 among 1,200 respondents found out that 61 percent disagree (44 percent strongly disagree, 17 percent somewhat disagree) and 22 percent agree (eight percent strongly agree,14 percent somewhat agree) with the creation of a law that will allow the civil union of two men or two women.
The remaining 16 percent were undecided about the matter.
This translates to a net agreement score (percent agree minus percent disagree) of -40, classified by SWS as “very weak.”
The SWS terminology for net agreement are +50 and above, extremely strong; +30 to +49, very strong; +10 to +29, moderately strong; +9 to -9, neutral; -10 to -29, moderately weak; -30 to -49, very weak; and -50 and below, extremely weak.
SWS pointed out that opposition to same-sex marriage was dominant in all areas, with the lowest net agreement score coming from the Visayas at -45 (21 percent agree, 66 percent disagree), followed by rest of Luzon at -42 (20 percent agree, 63 percent disagree), Mindanao at -38 (21 percent agree, 58 percent disagree), and Metro Manila at -27 (29 percent agree, 56 percent disagree).
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 same sex marriage was strongest among single men who are widowed or separated or divorced, with a score of -70 (seven percent agree, 77 percent disagree).
