The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved on the third and final reading House Bill 6492, or the proposed “Magna Carta on Religious Freedom Act” last January 23, 2023.
Accordingly, the reason for such a bill is to address religious discrimination in the country, and more importantly, to protect the right of people to freedom of religion.
Although, it is a fact that compared to other countries or nationalities, Filipinos generally enjoy a sense of freedom when it comes to their choice of religion, (In fact, the Philippines is a place that thrives of different religions: Roman Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, Adventist, etc.) it is also an eerie fact that religious discrimination exists in the country. There are still reports of discrimination rooted in religion. For instance, an employee is bypassed for promotion because he or she may not share the same religion with the employer; a person is shamed online for demonstrating his religious rituals; or a school is forcing a policy that favors one religion over the other. Though isolated in some cases, these are sources of tension and disagreements that may disturb societal peace and harmony. Thus, the proposed bill was approved.
Generally, the proposed Magna Carta seeks to “prohibit the government or any person to burden, curtail, impinge, or encroach on a person’s right to exercise his or her religious belief, freedom, and liberty of conscience.”
Other notable features of this Magna Carta is how it also includes educational institutions and businesses. In fact, House Bill 6492 protects 12 rights, which includes “the right to freedom against discrimination in educational institutions, the right against discrimination in employment; the right to religious worship and ceremonies; the right of companies or businesses to be founded on religious belief; the right of parents or legal guardians to rear children; the right to tax exemption, etc.” To put it simply, no one can be denied employment (or be terminated) solely on the basis of religion or adherence to religious beliefs.
With the Congress’ response to this specific discrimination, it is hoped that this will be the start of the Congress’ action on different underlying issues when it comes to discrimination, because, surely, religious discrimination is not the issue that exists within our country. (AJDB)
