House basic educ panel chair backs review of sex ed to be age-appropriate

House basic education and culture panel chairperson Roman Romulo on Thursday backed the Department of Education’s (DepEd) plan to review the comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) currently integrated in the curriculum amid the debates regarding Senate Bill 1979 or the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill.

“Yes, I am for its review because according to DepEd, the basis for the implementation at this time is Section 14 of the Reproductive Health Law 2012 (which) provides that the State shall provide age and development appropriate reproductive health education to adolescents, and the term adolescent is defined as ages 10 to 19,” Romulo said.

“That does not include Key stage 1 (Kinder 1 to Grade 3),” he added.

Likewise, Romulo said the DepEd should be able to ensure that it has enough competent teachers to teach the CSE as provided under the 2012 RH law.

“Section 14 provides that CSE should be taught by adequately trained teachers. Based on the last committee meeting, the training was not more than five days and it is unclear if all teachers were adequately trained,” he said.

“The same Section 14 also requires consultations with all 'interest groups.' We are asking DepEd to provide a list of who were consulted and dates of consultation,” he added.

Under the proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, the Comprehensive Sexuality Program will be "a compulsory part of education, integrated at all levels with the end goal of normalizing discussions about adolescent sexuality and reproductive health and to remove stigma at all levels."

Section 6 of the bill also provides that CSE “will be integrated in the school curriculum, guided by [the Department of Education] and international standards."

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, author of SB 1979, has removed the provision in the proposed measure on CSE "guided by international standards" which critics deemed to be the curriculum set by the UNESCO and the World Health Organization. She said that she will file a substitute measure.

Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno earlier said the curriculum by international organizations has provisions about teaching or encouraging masturbation for children aged zero to four years old, and teaching "bodily pleasure" or "sexual rights" to children ages six to nine.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. earlier vowed to veto the bill. On Thursday, he said that he will read the substitute measure first.

At least seven senators have withdrawn their signatures from the committee report on SB 1979. —AOL, GMA Integrated News