Final_CSP.pdf

Transcending Marriage Limitations A research paper with a topic of Correlation of the Perceptions of HUMSS Students on Legalizing Same Sex Marriage in the Philippines and Their Grades in Personal Development Subject presented to the class of Ms. Lara Marcelo as a fulfillment of a partial requirement in Culture, Society, and Politics subject by: SANTOS, Maria Ariebelle S.J MUKARAM, Nadzwha S. HUMSS 11-1 March 2017 DEDICATION To the people behind our lives, Our parents, who never ceased to show their undying love and support; Who served as our strong motivation every day. To the little angels, Our siblings/cousins, who shared their laughter and joy with us. To our second parents, Our teachers, who keep us inspired through all the joy; Who never get tired on teaching us the right and wonderful things in Earth. To the people who make our every days complete, Our friends, who never leave us despite the flaws we have; Who were always been there through good and bad times. To the people whom we admire, Our special someone, who give us butterflies in our tummies. To the people around us, who taught us to be strong enough. To the people who admire us, who taught us how beautiful creature we are. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the following people whom we owe the completion of this research: • To our parents, for always showing us their love. • To our friends, for showing us how wonderful life can be. • • • To our siblings/cousins, for supporting us. To our teachers, for being our second parents. To Ms. Lara Marcelo, for guiding us in doing this thesis. INTRODUCTION The culture undergoes dynamic process that enhances culture with refreshment and provides a new culture for every generation. Technological developments and social changes in the form of ‘evolution’ and ‘progress’ of any rate exist there as the adjustment factors change them according to the environmental conditions. Hence the societies and cultures are undergoing changes with a continued process. This change, the process, the evolution, and the progress is what we call cultural change. To define cultural change, according to Horton and Hunt, it is the changes in the culture of society. David Dressler and Donald Caens define it as the modification or discontinuance of existing ‘tried’ and 'tested' procedures transmitted to us from the culture of the past, as well as the introduction of the new procedures. One of the changes we face in our culture is the same sex marriage. Marriage is where two persons (a man and a woman) enter family life, as to what our norms and culture is saying. Same-sex marriage uses force of secular law to justify what the scripture of most modern religions has clearly labeled a sin: i.e., homosexual relations. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Unpacking the history of this transcultural “encounter” begins with dismantling the “commonsensical” connection between the gender-transitive behaviors and identities of the bakla, bayot, agi, bantut, etc., and the discourse and reality of homosexuality as a question of same-sexual orientation and/or identity. To put it simply: while homosexuality is obviously a recent development, an “implantation” of the American-sponsored biomedicalization of local cultures in the Philippines, the phenomenon of “gender transitivity” permeates the oral past not only of the Philippines but also the whole of Southeast Asia. Gender-crossing was very much an archipelagic phenomenon in early colonial Philippines. The “gender-crossers” impressed the Spanish chroniclers both because of their gender transitivity and their esteemed status as babaylan—religious functionaries or spiritual mediums who were considered supernal figures of authority in their respective communities. We must not forget, however, the following fact: the babaylan’s assumption of the dress and demeanor of women was simply the consequence of their crossgender transformation—in other words, their having successfully transitioned from male to female. Thus, these female-identified genital males were not transvestites but gender-crossers, for not only did they take on the look and behavior of women; their society actually granted them the social status of being “womanlike.” Men were husbands (or marido) to these gender-crossers, with whom they indulged in regular sexual intercourse. It’s clear that the primary reason for the gender-crosser’s “prestigious” status in pre- and early colonial Philippines was that women enjoyed a similar—or an even higher—status, as well. Native women or mujeres indigenas were—as the Spanish accounts put it—these respective societies’ priestesses and matriarchs. As such they could divorce their husbands, name their children, and acquire and expropriate wealth, all on their own. Because of the gender norms of Hispanization, traditional gendercrossing, throughout the centuries, naturally became more and more difficult to successfully enact. As the status of native women progressively diminished, likewise the gender-crosser herself became increasingly ridiculed, courtesy of the Spanish brand of European machismo. From being bayoguin (the Tagalog term for a feminine male, derived from a particular species of bamboo), the gender-crosser slowly but surely transmogrified into bakla, a word which had originally meant “confused” and/or “cowardly.” The conceptual movement is clear: kabaklaan isn’t a natural or predestined state any more, but is rather merely a temporary condition from which the bakla himself might conceivably be ejected—using whatever persuasive, brutally loving means. During the Spanish period, cross-dressing, effeminacy, and gendertransitive behavior in general persisted in the Philippines. They persisted not as themselves, however, since they were syncretized and transformed across the Hispanized centuries, morphing into a variety distinct colonial practices. The American period, on the other hand, saw the promulgation of modern notions of gender and sexuality by means of the public educational system and the Americanization of all aspects of government and the mass media. This discursive regulation in and through the imposition of American culture inaugurated a specific sexological consciousness in the Philippines—one that was premised upon a psychological style of reasoning that was hitherto unknown. Suffice it to say that this “sexologizing” has mostly been urban in its orientation, if only because it has mostly been urban in its sitedness: in the Philippines, the institutions of mass media, education, and governance, which all assume and promote the homo/hetero distinction, are centralized in the large metropolitan centers. What facilitated the colonial sexualization of the bakla was the presence, in the native culture, of a discourse of valorized interiority or “transcendent depth,” to which the colonial notion of gendered psychosexuality came to readily append itself. Among the Tagalog, this is the discourse of kalooban. This conceptual process entails the discursive movement from the genitally sexed “external body” to the realm of the psyche and interior selfhood, and what’s important to remember is that it did not completely negate or eliminate the importance of the former, but merely cast both in a reverse and mutually exclusive relationship. This binarism effectively absolutized their difference from one another, effectively recasting the bakla’s identity into a perversion which is to say, a “self-contradiction”. Moreover, it’s important to realize that this binarism was premised upon another binary—the dichotomizing of the gendered body into practically anatomically immutable and mutually exclusive male and female normative “types.” This dimorphism is arguably colonial, as well, inasmuch as there is archival evidence to suggest that a number of pre-Hispanic cultures in the Philippines recognized the existence of “mixed,” “liminal,” and/or “alternative” bodies. From all available accounts, it would appear that, even during early colonial times, the male/female dualism did not exhaust all the possible somatizations of the gendered self that the various Philippine indios could assume. The sexological discourse of homosexuality as a psychosexual inversion proved easy enough to “graft” on to kabaklaan because of the equivalency or “comparability” that exists between the Western concept of the gendered inner self, and the capaciously generative concept of loob. This “sexualization” of local modes of mentality, behavior, and personality, was the inevitableresult of the implementation of an English-based education system, and presumably, the “psychosexual logic” it introduced has prospered and become more stubbornly entrenched since then. It’s quite likely, hence, that the consciousness of many young Filipinos today has been formed by levels— indeed, by intensities—of sexual self-awareness that were unheard of in the past. And so, by virtue of the Philippines’ uneasy modernity, the effeminate bakla has become the “homosexual”: on one hand, a genitally male man whose identity is primarily defined as a function of his sexual desire for other men, and on the other, by virtue precisely of this “inverted” orientation, a (homosexual) man whose psychosexual identification tends toward the female. What we need to remember is that while his residual transgenderal characteristics (meaning, his effeminacy, “femininity,” and/or transvestism) locate him somewhere along the continuum of gender-variant performativities within the Philippines’ much-riven history, the bakla remains quite distinct by virtue of the following fact: he is burdened not only by his gender selfpresentation, but also, and more tragically, by his “sexual orientation”—a biomedical ascription capable of defining who he is, as a matter of deep psychological being, as an innermost question of self. As we know, the history of gender does not, however, necessarily coincide with the history of sexuality, and in attempting to trace the history of male homosexual activity in the Philippines, we will need to consider not just the gender-transitive but also the “masculine” side of the divide. Easily, we realize that we cannot be sure about the exact prevalence (and quality) of genitally male “same-sex” encounters in early colonial Philippines, going by the history of effeminacy alone. Genital males other than the gendercrossers were perfectly capable of engaging in sex with each other (which is to say, with other males), and this “capability” went largely unchecked in the Spanish accounts. Solely for this reason, we cannot equate the history of homosexuality with that of effeminacy or transgenderism at all, short of falling into historical error. In the 20th and 21st centuries various types of same-sex unions have come to be legalized. As of January 2016, Same-sex marriage is currently legal in twelve European countries: Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom (England, Wales and Scotland), Sweden and Luxembourg. Finland is currently in the process of legislation. Other types of recognition for same-sex unions (civil unions or registered partnerships) are, as of 2015, legal in fifteen European countries: Andorra, Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, (Isle of Man), (Jersey), Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland), Malta, Croatia, Cyprus and Greece. A referendum to change the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland to allow same sex marriage took place on 22 May 2015 and approved the proposal to add the following declaration to the Constitution: "marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex” STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This study aims to determine the perception of HUMSS students of Manila Central University on the legalization of same sex marriage in the Philippines and its correlation in their Personal Development Education subject. 1. What is the demographic profile of the students? 1.1 Age 1.2 Gender 1.3 Religion 2. How to the students perceive the legalization of Same Sex Marriage in the Philippines? 1.1 Morality 1.2 Acceptability 1.3 Expectations 3. What measures can the government undertake on the legalization of same sex marriage? 4. What is the correlation between the student’s perception on the topic and their grades in Personal Development subject? SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This study will benefit the following groups of people: Students. To be informed and to have further knowledge regarding the topic. Future researchers. To serve as a raw material or background information for the future studies regarding the topic. Society. To have a better understanding of the situation of homosexuals in the society. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES Asia is considerably more diverse continent than Europe or North America. There is as much linguistic and cultural difference between societies located within the geographically contiguous domain now called "Asia" as there is between this complex set of Asian societies and those of Europe, the Americans, or Oceania. Despite this diversity, it is possible to make generally valid observations. Every contemporary Asian society marginalizes gender and sexual difference in the sense that heterosexuality is valorized by cultural norms and sometimes by legal regimes that seek to enforce heteronormativity. However, the forms of marginalization differ, both in character and intensity, from one society to the next. In the dace of historical and contemporary marginalization, homoeroticism and transgenderism have, nevertheless, claimed spaces for expression, whether as in Korea and Singapore, in the semi visible gaps in hegemonic forms of hetero-normativity, or as in the Philippines or Thailand in the form of a publicly tolerated but still derided transgender role. Large numbers of Asian men and women continue to understand themselves and their lives in "pre-gay" terms that often relate more to the pre-industrial rural pasts of their societies than to postmoderniz-ing urban present. In addition Neil Garcia (1996) also dates the origins of the Philippine gay scene to the 1960s. According to “Being LGBT in Asia: The Philippines Country Report” when the Pew Research Center conducted a survey in 2013, the results indicated that 73% of the Filipino respondents said that homosexuality should be accepted by the society. LGBT Filipinos were skeptical regarding the results of the survey, saying that they were only tolerated when they fit stereotypes, such as having an occupation. Another example of the “supposed” acceptance stated in the report was the television soap opera “My Husband’s Lover,” which shows a married man having a male lover outside of his marriage. The show had been popular but also controversial, especially with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY). In the Philippine judicial system, there are numerous laws that portray the LGBT sexual orientation negatively or detrimental to one’s self and society. One example of such laws include Article 46 of the Family code, where homosexuality is one of the grounds of marriage annulment and legal separation. According to the USAID report on the country’s LGBT status, these laws are being used by unethical lawyers to further suppress the LGBT community. Furthermore, back in 2009, the frequency of LGBT harassment has heightened. The lack of an anti-harassment or discrimination law has suppressed the LGBT community until today. Even though anti-discrimination bills were passed along the House of Representatives, politicians still refuse to pass a law because of liberality and the inclusion of religion in the subject matter. Another study entitled “I was a Tomboy: Labels, Constructions and Understandings of Women’s Sexuality in the Philippines” by Rodis (2014), explained its findings regarding the attitudes of Filipinos regarding same-sex sexual identities. According to the study, the attitudes of the Filipinos are divided into two: the first one is a modern attitude, which is heavily influenced by the United States; while the second one is a more conservative and traditional attitude, which is influenced by the Church. Dr. Margarita Go Singco- Holmes, a psychologist, wrote a book entitled A Different Love: Being a gay man in the Philippines (2005), which is composed of the mails she received from gay men who seek advice from her regarding the problems and issues they currently face at the time. One of the common problems of these men were about their sexuality—that they weren’t sure what they really were and they also weren’t so sure about “coming out” to the people close to them, such as their family and friends. These experiences could be supported through two of these stage models, despite there being many, on the “stages” LGBT people experience during identity formation. Furthermore, Inquirer.net posted an article on the 8th of June 2013 that a survey was conducted by the Pew Research Center, which results made the Philippines rank 10 out of 17 countries as one of the most gay-friendly countries because of the country’s high level of public acceptance of homosexuals. On Tabora, Tee, Villanueva, and Bernante’s (2016) study, The Religious Practices of Youth and Its Relation to their Attitude on Same-Sex Marriage, that aimed to identify the relationship of religious practices of college students from sectarian and nonsectarian sector, and their attitude towards same-sex marriage. Concluded, “the attitude towards same-sex marriage, sectarian students have a negative attitude while non-sectarian are positive about it. And the results implied that among sectarian students, the more they became involved in religious practices, the more they became negative on same-sex marriage”. According to Ochoa (2016), Same-sex marriage in the Philippines remains a strongly opposed issue due to the influence of religion in this predominantly Catholic country, where it is often framed as an issue of morality. However, the psychological underpinnings of this religious influence still merit further exploration. Thus, the researchers examined the role of religious behaviours, spiritual openness, and moral foundations in predicting attitudes toward same-sex marriage among Filipinos. Data from 213 participants revealed that the particular behaviour of reading the main sacred text of one's religion predicts negative attitudes, while spiritual openness is linked to more positive attitudes. Beyond these religious variables, the moral foundation of Purity/sanctity also predicts negative attitudes. McGee (2016) in his research, In Which Countries Is Homosexuality Most (And Least) Acceptable? A Ranking of 98 Countries, reported the results of various studies conducted by the World Values Surveys on the topic of homosexuality and to rank its acceptability. Those six studies, going back to 1981, asked hundreds of thousands of people in about 100 countries what their views were on homosexuality, specifically the extent to which it could be justified. The study ranks those countries based on acceptability, as measured by mean scores. The data that was taken from the Human Beliefs and Values (HBV) surveys that was collected by social scientists all over the world and cover a wide range of issues relating to perceptions of life, environment, work, family, politics and society, religion and morale and national identity. The study analyses the data reflecting attitudes on homosexuality. The question asked: “Please tell me for each of the following actions whether you think it can always be justified, never be justified, or something in between: homosexuality.” Responses were measured on a 10-point Likert scale where 1 is never justifiable and 10 is always justifiable. Respondents were not asked the reason for their view, which makes it impossible to delve into their reasoning. Determining the reasoning behind their views is the subject of some future study. The table below presented refers to the findings. Philippines is at 73 with a mean of 4.47. FRAMEWORK According to Sedgwick (2013), Queer Theory is a perspective that problematizes the manner in which we have been taught to think about sexual orientation. By calling their discipline “queer,” these scholars are rejecting the effects of labeling; instead, they embrace the word “queer” and have reclaimed it for their own purposes. Queer theorists reject the dichotomization of sexual orientations into two mutually exclusive outcomes, homosexual or heterosexual. Rather, the perspective highlights the need for a more flexible and fluid conceptualization of sexuality—one that allows for change, negotiation, and freedom. The current schema used to classify individuals as either “heterosexual” or “homosexual” pits one orientation against the other. This mirrors other oppressive schemas in our culture, especially those surrounding gender and race (black versus white, male versus female). Input Process Output The demographic profile of The correlation between the the respondents perception of the respondents Survey questionnaire The perception of about the legalization of same the sex marriage in the Philippines respondents about legalizing and their grades in Personal same sex marriage Development Education. Analysis The grades of the respondents in the Personal Development Education The first box shows the subject title of the study which includes the demographic profile of the respondents, the perception of the respondents about legalizing same sex marriage, and the grades of the respondents in the Personal Development Education. The second box shows the researchers will conduct survey in the form of questionnaires and analysis in gathering data. The third box shows the future output of the conducted research. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY This chapter presents the research methodology, research design, research instrument, population and sample frame, data gathering, and synthesis and statistical treatment used in the study. RESEARCH DESIGN The study investigates how Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students of the Senior High School of Manila Central University assess the legalization of same sex marriage based on their age, religion, sexual preferences and gender. For the study, the researchers employ the descriptive method analysis. To define the descriptive type of research, Best (1963) define it as a research that describes and interprets what is and is concerned with conditions of relationships that exist, practices that prevail, beliefs and processes that are going on, effects that are being felt, or trends that are developing. Creswell (1994) stated that descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing condition. The emphasis is on describing rather than on judging or interpreting. The aim of the descriptive research is to verify formulated hypotheses that refer to the present situation in order to eludicate it. The process of descriptive research involves an element of interpretation of the meaning or significance of what is described. Thus, often combined with comparison and contrast involving measurements, classifications, interpretation, and evaluation. Through this method, the researchers will be able to gather information about corelation of the perception of HUMSS students regarding the legalization of same sex marriage in the Philippines and their grades in Personal Development Education. INSTRUMENT To conduct the study, the researchers used the same questionnaire used and made by Ang and Bayot (2011) in “The Legalization of Same Sex Marriage as Assesed by CITHM Students”. The questionnaire is composed of presonal information and questions that would define the answers. The type of questionnaire used by the researchers is closed or fixed alternative; on the other hand, limit the respondents to chooses among specific alternatives. It was also checked by our thesis adviser to ensure the validity of each item. PARTICIPANTS OF THE STUDY The total population of HUMSS is 52 students. Since the researchers are also HUMSS students, only 50 students are taken to be the participants of this study. The participants qualified for the selection must be senior high school students of Manila Central University under the strand of Humanities and Social Sciences. This qualification ensured that the participants have better understanding on the current issue of the legalization of same sex marriage’s legalization. PROCEDURE After gathering all the completed questionnaires from the respondents, total responses for each item were obtained and tabulated. In order to use the Likerts Scale for interpretation, weighted mean to represent each question was computed. Weighted mean is the average wherein every quantity to be averages has a corresponding weight. Theses weights represent the significance of each quantity to the average. To compute for the weighted mean, each value must multiplied by its weight. Products should then be added to obtain the total value. The total weight should also be computed by adding all the weights. The total value is then divided by the total weight. As this study required the participation of human respondents, specifically human resource professionals, certain ethical issues were addressed. The consideration of these ethical issues was necessary for the purpose of ensuring the privacy as well as the safety of the participants. Among the significant ethical issues that were considered in the research process include consent and confidentiality. In order to secure the consent of the selected participants, the researcher relayed all important details of the study, including its aim and purpose. By explaining these important details, the respondents were able to understand the importance of their role in the completion of the research. The confidentiality of the participants was also ensured by not disclosing their names or personal information in the research. Only relevant details that helped in answering the research questions were included. determine the correlation for the topic, Pearson Correlation Coeffecient Calcutor was used wherein where all the data from the questionnaire and the grades on Personal Development subject are the input. STATISTICAL TREATMENT OF THE DATA After the questionaires are answered, the profile of the respondents will be taken, according to age, gender, and religion. To be able to get a description of the profile of the respondents, the data coming from each item mention above will be placed in tabular form with the indicated percentage as well as the frequency. This will show the assessment of HUMSS students on the legalization of same sex marriage. The formulae that will be used in this study are: 1. Percentage This was used as descriptive manner to show the relationship between two magnitiudes. The formula used for this is: % = f x 100 N Where: % = the percentage f = the frequency N = total number of the respondents 2. Weighted Mean This is a statistical tool that refers to the overall average responses or perceptions of the students. WM =∑ fx/N Where: WM = weighted mean f = the frequency x= scale ∑ fx = sum of the product of the frequency and the unit N = total number of the respondents Interpretation was based on Likert’s scale method. Mean Value Scale Verbal Interpretation 4.50–5.00 5 Strongly Agree 3.50–4.49 4 Agree 2.50–3.49 3 Neutral 1.50–2.49 2 Disagree 1.0–1.49 1 Strongly Disagree 3. Composited Weighted Mean This is the average of the weighted means. The formula for the composite weighted mean is: CWM=∑WM/N Where: CWM= composite weighted mean WM = weighted mean N= total numberof category in each factor ∑= Summation sign 4. Correlation To determine the correlation between the perception of HUMSS students on legalizing same sex marriage and their grades in Personal Development Education, Pearson correlation coefficient formula was used. The Pearson correlation coefficient is used to measure the strength of a linear association between two variables, where the value r = 1 means a perfect positive correlation and the value r = -1 means a perfect negataive correlation. Results I. Demographic Profile of the Respondents The following figures show how respondents are distributed according to their gender, age, and religion. Figure 1.1 Figure 1.2 Gender Female Age Male 16 years old 17 years old Figure 1.3 Religion Catholic Christian I.N.C Others 18 years old 2. Weighted Mean The following table show the weighted mean according to morality, acceptability, and expectation together with its verbal interpretation. Also, shows the rank of the measures to be taken if ever same sex marriage would be legalized in the Philippines. Table 2.1 Weighted Mean according To Morality Mean Value Verbal Interpretation 1. Same sex marriage is against my religious beliefs. 3.51 Agree 2. It is against the law of God. 3.90 Agree 3. It is against the mores. 3.51 Agree 4. It is alongside other sexual vices. 3.12 Neutral A. Morality Table 2.2 Weighted Mean according to Acceptability Mean Value Verbal Interpretation 5. Homosexuals are acceptable for me. 3.92 Agree 6. Having a same sex relationship for me is completely immoral. 2.84 Neutral 7. I support homosexual lifestyle and same sex marriage. 3.10 Neutral 8. Same sex marriage should be legalized in the Philippines. 3.24 Neutral B. Acceptability Table 2.3 Weighted Mean according to Expectations Mean Value Verbal Interpretation 9. Same sex marriage shows fairness and equality among people, especially the third sexes. 3.47 Neutral 10. Same sex marriage should be given the same benefit the normal marriage does. 11. Same sex marriage improves people’s lives. 3.39 Neutral 3.18 Neutral 12. Same sex marriage creates better harmony in the family than normal marriage. 2.90 Neutral C. Expectations 2.4 Rank of Measures D. Measures Mean Rank 13. Same sex marriage to be allowed only for ages 21 and above. 3.16 4 14. Legalization of same sex marriage after 2 years of living together. 3.29 2 15. Marriage requirements should include authorization or consent from both family sides. 3.55 1 16. The government should require marriage fee for the same sex couple to get an authorized marriage contract. 3.26 3 ANALYSIS OF DATA 1. Demographic profile of the respondents Figure 1.1 presented the percentage distribution of the respondents as to their age among 51 participants. Based on the figure, majority of the respondents aged 17 years old, followed by the population of the respondents aged 16 years old, and 18 years old has the least number of respondents. Figure 1.2 presented the profile of respondents in terms of gender. As revealed by the figure, 47.06% of the total population of the respondents were male and the remaining 52.94% were female. Figure 1.3 showed that majority of the total population were Catholics with a percentage of 70.59, followed by the Christians with the percentage of 15.69, and Iglesia ni Cristo composed the percentage 3.92. The remaining 9.8 % was composed of other religions like Protestant, Jehovah’s Witness, Born Again Christian, and Kingdom of Jesus above of All. 2. Weighted Mean Table 2.1 showed the weighted mean according to morality. It presented how morality affects the respondents’ perception towards the legalization of same sex marriage in the Philippines. With a mean value of 3.51, the respondents agreed that same sex marriage is against their religious beliefs and also having a mean of 3.90 that it is against the law of God indicates that majority of the respondents are religious and their religious teachings is strong. They also agreed that legalizing same sex marriage is against the mores with a mean value of 3.51. This means that the respondents’ think that it is wrong and not normal but they are neutral about it being alongside other sexual vices with a mean value of 3.12. Table 2.2 presented the acceptability of the respondents regarding the topics. They agreed that homosexuals are acceptable with a mean of 3.92. With this, homosexuals are welcomed and accepted by out society, and the discrimination against them had lessened now. With a mean value of 2.84, they are neutral on the thought of same sex marriage being immoral. They still couldn’t decide whether same sex marriage is right or wrong because they are torn between their strong religious teachings and the open-mindedness of the society today. They are also neutral on supporting homosexual lifestyle and marriage, as well as on legalizing same sex marriage in the Philippines with a mean value of 3.10 and 3.24 respectively. This proves that majority of the respondents still haven’t made up their mind on accepting the legalization of same sex marriage in the Philippines. Table 2.3 presented the expectations of the respondents’ towards same sex marriage if ever it is legalized or towards the same sex marriage itself. The respondents’ are neutral on all of the thoughts. With a mean value of 3.47, they are neutral on the fairness and equality that same sex marriage could bring. They are also neutral on the thought of giving same sex marriage the same benefits that normal marriage has with a mean value of 3.39. On the thought of it will improve people’s lives, they are also neutral with a mean value of 3.18. With a mean value of 2.90, they are neutral on same sex marriage creates better harmony in family than normal marriage. Based on the results, the respondents don’t know what to expect on same sex marriage or they haven’t given it a thought. Table 2.4 presented the ranking of the measures or policies that the respondents think the most important if ever same sex marriage be legalized in the Philippines. The top choice was marriage requirement should include authorization or consent from both family sides to be able to show that everyone in their family agrees to their marriage decision. Second policy chosen was that same sex marriage should be only genuine after two years of living together. Third most important policy was same sex marriage should have marriage fee to be authorized. And lastly, same sex marriage should only be for 21 years of age and above to ensure that they are no longer minors. 3. Correlation The calculation of the correlation of the perception of the respondents regarding the topic and their grades in Personal Development subject using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient Calculator showed a strong positive correlation. When two variables have a positive correlation, it means the variables move in the same direction. This means that as one variable increases, so does the other one. DISCUSSION SUMMARY The overriding purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between the perception of HUMSS students on legalizing the same sex marriage and their Personal Development Education grades. To accomplish that goal it became necessary to reach some prerequisite goals. Determining what countries legalized same sex marriage and how tolerant those countries are with the LGBT community assumed a high degree of importance during the literature review conducted for this research. Related to that effort, it became necessary to reach an understanding about the nature of the LGBT community in the Philippines. To provide for a better understanding of the legalization of same sex marriage, it was important to develop a theory. Once these fundamental steps were achieved, this research was able to go forward. This chapter reports the conclusions and recommendations that resulted from this study. The researchers used the Likert’s scale in the survey and were personally handed to the respondents. All respondents were asked to answer the questionnaire as honestly as with their perception. The researchers asked permission from the teachers and the two sections of HUMSS strand for the copy of their grades in Personal Development Education. . Through the use of the survey instrument developed for this study, were collected which addressed the research problem. CONCLUSION In this study the researchers concluded that : 1. Demographic profile of the respondents Majority of the respondents in this study are female with the age of 17 years old. It is safe to say that the assessment on the legalization of same sex marriage are mostly dominated in the point of view of females but still this will not overlook the data gathered regarding the perception of the male respondents in this study. The largest part of the respondents’ religion is Catholic. 2. Perception of the HUMSS students towards the legalization of same sex marriage in the Philippines 2.1 Morality Most of the respondents in this study believed that same sex marriage is against religious beliefs and is against the law of God. They also considers that same sex marriage is against the mores. It is very much understandable since Philippines is a very religious country with 80% of its population belonging to the Roman Catholic Church thus religion holding a central of most Filipinos but the respondents are neutral in considering same sex marriage is alongside other sexual vices. 2.2 Acceptability Majority of the respondents agree that homosexuals are acceptable for them but most of the respondents cannot decide is same sex relationship is immoral or not, and are neutral in supporting the homosexual’s’ lifestyle and same sex marriage. Most of the respondents haven’t decided their stand in legalizing the same sex marriage in the Philippines. 2.3 Expectations The large number of respondents hasn’t built their expectation on the matter. They cannot decide if same sex marriage shows fairness and equality among people, also same sex should be given same benefits as normal marriage has as well as whether same sex marriages improves people’s lives. 2.4 Rank of Measures If ever the same sex marriage was legalized in the Philippines, majority of the respondents chose their first priority for the requirements to those who are in the same sex relationship that want to get married is that they should have consent of authorization from both family sides. Secondly, is that same sex marriage should only be given after two years of living together, by doing so they will be sure if their marriage last long or if they are compatible with each other. The government should require marriage fee for the same sex couple to get an authorized marriage contract. Lastly, both gay couple should be at a age of 21years and above so that the people involved are mature enough and are of their proper mind to make the decision. 3. Correlation The data collected from this small study suggests that there is a strong positive correlation between the grades of each student in the subject Personal Development Education and their perception on legalizing same sex marriage in the Philippines. The participants’ stand was mostly neutral. RECOMMENDATION Our study is hampered by the small number and homogeneity of our participants. All of our participants were senior high school students and this may have affected the results. Additional research might examine whether older participants would benefit from verbal instructions and explanations with the topic. More research is also needed examining correlation between different subjects. Our study considered different factors like age, religion and gender. Future research should also consider examining the respondents’ sexuality than gender. 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