Posted by: Michelle Piquero
Date Published: February 13, 2025
Time Published: 10:55 AM
It has always been forbidden for Filipinos to speak about sexuality in any form. Through stigma and illiteracy it was thought that the immoral practices of premarital sex and teenage pregnancy would be avoided even in the absence of appropriate sex education. In spite of millennia attempts to eradicate it, teenage pregnancy remains to be an existential problem in the Philippines despite the numerous initiatives. Given that education is one of the main factors influencing every young individual, wouldn't the idea be more efficient if the Department of Education (DepEd) concentrated on aggressively educating Filipino adolescents pertaining to sex education, considering the rising frequency of teenage pregnancy in our nation? And won't we continue to live in the shadow of ignorance if cultural taboos and stigmas persist every time such issues pertaining to sex are raised and brought to the table?
On January 22, 2025, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros declared that she would put forth a substitute proposal for Senate Bill (SB) 1979, commonly referred to as the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, in light of her colleagues' withdrawal of support for the proposed law. [1] having undergone a lack of support and the omission of some of her colleagues' reinforcement, the Senator's desire to continue an initiative that will help to prioritize the reproductive health concerns of all Filipino adolescents fought out. The legislation additionally stipulates that each Filipino child be given competent knowledge suitable to their age, emphasizing the necessity of understanding sexuality, health, and the potential risks associated with adolescent pregnancy. Despite the laudable intentions, the proposed bill has faced widespread condemnation from the various levels of government as well as from the townspeople, including some members of faith-based organizations and even some lawmakers. Moreover, Is the continual criticism geared at this law a manifestation of its inaccuracy, or is it simply an indication of Filipinos' inability to accept change and modernization?
In an interview, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed unequivocally that he strongly opposes the ludicrous ideas proposed for implementing sex education in the Philippines. The president claimed: "I was appalled by some elements of that. All this" woke "that they are trying to bring into our system. That every child has the right to try different sexualities. This is ridiculous. It is abhorrent. It is a travesty of what sexual and sex education should be to the children." [2] The president's assertions are just one manifestation of the Philippines' chronic fear and cowardice in discussing sex, as we have frequently allowed young children to suffer rather than deal with the reality. The president emphasized that the problem may be rooted from the overwhelming likelihood of introducing sex education in the country, but in reality the problem commenced a long time ago when we refused to recognize that avoiding it simply makes it worse.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros reaffirms the underlying purpose and substance of SB 1979 in spite of the President's statements, stating that "Mr. President, with all due respect, maliwanag na wala po sa bill kahit ‘yung salita na ‘masturbation.’ Wala din po ‘yung ‘try different sexualities’,” the senator said in a statement," she continued, adding, "We are also promoting Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), which includes the very same things you support: teaching kids anatomy and the consequences of early pregnancy.” [3] The senator's assertion that she is additionally making an effort to convince the president to comprehend is merely one illustration of how many Filipinos continue to perceive sex education as an immoral activity and fail to capitalize on the importance of proper education. This apathy and absence of comprehension are among the primary causes of the nation's ongoing rise in pregnancy rates among adolescents as well as the potential rise in sexually transmitted infections cases. In light of this Filipino mentality, which traces its roots in the nation's traditional cultural and religious beliefs, we often fail to consider the proposition that sex education teaches responsibility, consent, and health information rather than sex.
In accordance with the persistent resistance and misinformation the senator keeps occurring to endure regarding her proposed law, the senador was forced to suggest an alternative bill. [4] It's disheartening to weigh that the senator has to present an alternative proposal in an attempt to fully educate every Filipino citizen about the real intent of sex education. Taking into account that Filipinos are conservative by nature, their apprehension concerning the potential implementation of sex education in our nation may not be unparalleled. Nevertheless, the Philippines continues to live in ignorance subsequent to rejecting liberalism for a number of years.
The generational-right dispute over the feasibility of instituting sex education is unsettling when you think about it. Long-standing prejudices about reproductive study in support of the promiscuity ideology appear to have mediated Filipino youth to remain uninformed and vague in these topics. Due to this, the Filipino people have being conditioned to equate knowing about sex with culpability because of the culture's tendency to view sex as vulgar. In a broader sense we are preparing the Filipino youngsters for a complex future rather than safeguarding them if we continue to forbid open discussions about sexuality. Now is the right time to eradicate the unending ignorance that has persisted for a few generations and now is the right time for Filipino youth to be prepared for a safe and well-informed future.
REFERENCES:
[1] Bordey, H. (2025, January 22). Hontiveros to file substitute measure for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill. GMA Integrated News. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/933744/hontiveros-substitute-measure-adolescent-pregnacy-prevention-bill/story/
[2] PBBM bucks content of ‘sex education’ proposal. (2025, January 20). Govph. https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/pbbm-bucks-content-of-sex-education-proposal/
[3] Sarao, Z. (nd). Hontiveros assures Marcos: No risky clauses in anti-teen pregnancy bill. Inquirer.net. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2026479/hontiveros-assures-marcos-no-risky-clauses-in-anti-teen-pregnancy-bill#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17382889541340&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsinfo.inquirer.net%2F2026479%2Fhontiveros-assures-marcos-no-risky-clauses-in-anti-teen-pregnancy-bill
[4] Abad, M. (2025, January 22). Hontiveros files substitute anti-teen pregnancy bill to amend criticized version. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/philippines/hontiveros-files-substitute-anti-teen-pregnancy-bill-january-2025/
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