Marcos backs sex education in schools amid rising teen pregnancy rates
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday voiced his support for sex education in schools, emphasizing its importance in addressing teenage pregnancy.
Senate Bill 1979, also known as the "Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act," aims to tackle the alarming rise in teenage pregnancies. However, its contentious provision on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) has faced strong opposition from some conservative groups.
Marcos noted the rising cases of teenage mothers.
“Pagka teenager ‘yung nanay, hindi marunong alagaan ‘yung bata. Hindi nila alam – marunong alagaan ang sarili nila ‘pag buntis sila. Kung anong kakainin; kung nanganak na, kung ano ang ipapakain doon sa bata. These are all of the things that we need to address. And so, the teaching of this in our schools is very, very, very important,” Marcos said in an ambush interview in Leyte.
(If the mother is a teenager, she will not know how to take care of the child. They do not know how to take care of themselves if they are pregnant. What to eat, when they give birth, what they will feed to the child. These are all of the things that we need to address. And so, the teaching of this in our schools is very, very, very important.)
“To make young people, especially, knowledgeable about what are the options that are truly available to us, and what the consequences are – what the consequences are of having a child too soon, too early. Children having children is a very difficult situation for both the child and the parent,” he said.
The president does not seem to shy away from the topic, as he previously gifted his son, Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos, a book titled "Sex for Lazy People: 50 Effortless Positions So You Can Do It Without Overdoing It" for his birthday in March 2024.
The CSE provision in the bill has been criticized for including a portion stating that it may be modeled after international standards set by the World Health Organization.
Critics have raised concerns that it could potentially teach children about self-pleasure
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the author of the bill, dispelled rumors, calling them conspiracy theories.
She explained that it was still the Department of Education (DepEd) who would implement the program and ensure that it is tailored to the needs of the country.
The DepEd has also defended the inclusion of sex education in schools, saying that its implementation would be culturally sensitive.
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