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If not through sexuality education, then how to curb teen pregnancy, group asks 


If comprehensive sexuality education is not the key to addressing the rising number of teen pregnancies in the Philippines, then what is it? 

This question was highlighted during a media forum on Friday, where civil society organizations and visiting parliamentarians from the European Union, France, and the United Kingdom shared their insights on reproductive health (RH) and Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in the Philippines. 

The CSE, which is being implemented under a Department of Education order, was put under the microscope when it was included as a provision in Senate Bill No. 1979 or the Adolescent Pregnancy Bill filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros.

To prevent adolescent pregnancy in the country, the bill stated that “age and development-appropriate” CSE shall be standardized and implemented in all public and private basic education institutions. 

The National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution (NCFC) opposed the CSE, believing some of its provisions have inappropriate concepts and threaten “moral, societal, and spiritual values.

READ: What is Comprehensive Sexuality Education?

House Basic Education and Culture panel chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo believed that CSE is not the key to addressing the rising number of young mothers in the country. 

No alternative solution

During the briefing, Rom Dongeto, Child Rights Network (CRN) convenor and Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) executive director said amid the issue, they have been only hearing about the lawmakers' opposing statements and misinformation about the CSE but no one is offering an alternative solution. 

"We are not hearing from the politicians, particularly from Congress members and senators exactly what is the alternative. But Congress said they want to elevate the discussion of CSE in the Supreme Court," Dongeto said. 

"They want to bring this case to the SC. A senator also said they want to suspend it on DepEd and finally develop a curriculum that will allow the positions of those opposing the CSE and SB 1979. So there is no concrete proposal from them, what is the alternative?" he said. 

Dongeto also said that Project Dalisay, which raised concerns about the CSE, is not offering an alternative solution. 

"As far as we are concerned, Project Dalisay is also not offering an alternative other than abstinence-only," he added. 

GMRC law

Romulo countered CSE is not the panacea to teenage pregnancies as it adds nothing to what is already provided by the Reproductive Health (RH) law of 2012 and the law on Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and Values Education Act.

"Under the RH law of 2012, it is already provided that reproductive health education be provided to adolescents. Unlike the term CSE, reproductive health is defined in the RH law. The use of an undefined term under Philippine law such as CSE may lead to various interpretations," Romulo told GMA News Online.

"The way forward - proper implementation of the RH law of 2012 and the GMRC law," he added.

Religion and CSE

Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, who highly opposed teaching CSE to children, said the Philippines should not follow international ideology to preserve its traditions and religiosity. 

Baroness Elizabeth Grace Sugg, a member of the British Parliament, said there should not be a conflict between religion and CSE.

"I don't think there should be a conflict between religion and the CSE. We have seen CSE introduce positive effects in our Christian countries in an appropriate way. We don't see a conflict there," she said. 

Another member of the Parliament, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, defended that CSE is not meant to impose international standards but rather to help protect the children of a nation, knowing that "facts and evidence are out there." 

"I don't see the difference between mothers in the Philippines, Poland, France, Italy, Finland, and Sweden. I think we, all over the world, have the same thinking about our children. Because for us, there are no differences between mothers of the world and between children of the world," she said. 

"Religion has to be in the church, not in the House of Representatives or Senate," she added. 

Department Order 31

Implemented through Department Order 31 (2018), CSE is a “curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality.”

According to the order, CSE will apply a “scientific, age-and-developmentally appropriate, culturally and gender responsive, and rights-based approach.”

“It aims to equip learners with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will empower them to realize their health, well-being and dignity,” the order added.

CSE shall apply “to all learners of public and private elementary, junior and senior high schools, and of learning centers for Special Education and Alternative Learning Systems and laboratory schools of State Universities and Colleges and Local Universities and Colleges except when certain provisions are applicable only to public schools," the order stated. —LDF, GMA Integrated News

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