The Study focused on what middle-aged couples (35-55 of age) of middle class social economic status from Metro Manila think of marriage, what sources of marital conflict they experienced and how these were managed, and what their assessment of their marriage is. The study employed interview survey and used a semi-instructed interview guide as data collection instrument. Using purposive and chain referral sampling techniques, a total of 30 middle-aged couples served as respondents in this study. Data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. Data show that middle-aged couples concept of marriage is directly related to what they think of as a function of marriage. Their concept of marriage is primary associated with love, followed by the fulfillment of one’s desire to have a family of his/her own, but as time passes the function of companionship was highlighted. Marital conflicts experienced were mostly rooted from communication problems, that is either difficulty to communicate well to the spouse or differences in communication style. Financial problem, even among middle aged couples of middle class socio-economic status, was found a major source of marital conflict. Hence, making more wives to seek employment and pursue a career to ease financial difficulties. Coping strategies used to manage marital conflicts vary depending on the personalities involved and situational context that must be addressed. During marital conflicts, husbands focus more attention to their work so as to keep them busy while wives focus their attention more to their children and seek advises from relatives and friends. The practice of denial and displacement to confront marital problems were noted among husbands. In assessing marriage, despite the presence of various types of marital conflicts, middle-aged couples still view their marriage as intact and they rated their marriage as satisfactory. More husbands rated their marriage higher than their spouse.
