Marcos to study teen pregnancy bill

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he has to read first the substitute measure to the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023 before he reconsiders his stand on the issue.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros filed the substitute bill to Senate Bill (SB) 1979, striking out the provision on international standards for comprehensive sex education.

"I need to read the substitute bill first," Marcos said

Hontiveros removed the provision on Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE) "guided by international standards" after a backlash from critics, including the president.

She said the substitute bill would also limit mandatory sex education to adolescents ages 10 years old and above, and include a provision guaranteeing academic and religious freedom.

Marcos earlier vowed to veto the measure, which he said would lead to children ages 0 to 4 years old getting taught how to masturbate, and children having the right to try different sexualities.

"I'm a parent, and I'm a grandparent. So, I feel very strongly about this," the president said.

Schools also need to teach the youth matters like the consequences of early pregnancy and the prevalence of HIV, he said.

"But to include the so-called 'woke' absurdities are abhorrent to me — and I'm already guaranteeing, this would not be passed into a law if this bill is passed in that form," he said.

SB 1979 would make the Comprehensive Sexuality Program "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."

Seven out of the 18 senators which signed the committee report on the measure have withdrawn their signatures.

Senate President Chiz Escudero said the senators would discuss whether or not to return the substitute bill to the committee or push through with the period of amendments on the floor.

Sen. Bong Go, who did not sign the committee report, reiterated the importance of respecting the role of religious institutions and the family in shaping children's values, health, and education.

"As a legislator, I always value every Filipino's beliefs, religion, and culture. This must be respected in every policy that is promoted. I am not in favor of any proposals that undermine the family's value or go against our countrymen's faith," Go said.

He said that policies should consider Filipinos' family values and common beliefs for the greater good.

"When it comes to shaping the youth, the role of the family should be prioritized. We should not dictate what is taught to children," he said.

Misconceptions

A nongovernment organization has urged President Marcos and lawmakers to reconsider their stand on the CSE provision of the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act, while slamming the "false information" spreading against the provision.

Roots of Health, a Palawan-based nongovernmental organization that provides free, rights-based, high-quality sexual and reproductive health education and services, said the information that CSE "hypersexualizes" children or that it diminishes parental involvement undermines its true purpose to protect young people from harm by enabling them to make informed decisions.

"The current disinformation campaign attacking CSE, as well as the misconceptions and misunderstandings it deliberately generates, detracts and distracts from the urgent need to address pressing health issues that affect young people such as increasing cases of teenage pregnancy, HIV infection, and sexual abuse," the organization said.

It stressed that the CSE provision does not teach or encourage children to engage in sexual activity; rather, it would provide young people with credible knowledge to make informed decisions instead of learning through risky experimentation or unreliable sources.

It also said that education on topics such as body anatomy and recognizing inappropriate behavior equips children with essential life skills.

"By starting these conversations early, children learn to set personal boundaries, build a foundation of respect for others, and know what to do in case they experience abuse or predatory behavior. These lessons are age-appropriate, ensuring that children have the right knowledge at the right time," the group said.

It reiterated that CSE reduces teenage pregnancies, reduced maternal and child mortality, improves school retention, and helps young people plan for a better future.

Roots of Health said that when it taught 100,000 students and trained 6,500 teachers in CSE in 15 years, the teen pregnancy rate in Puerto Princesa City dropped by 60 percent.

"Let's not allow disinformation to stall progress. Let's give our youth the education they deserve and our families the support they need," the group said.

Another group, the Child Rights Network (CRN) Philippines called on Senators Joel Villanueva and Migz Zubiri to show the questionable provisions of SB 1979.

"Show us what is inappropriate in this bill, and for once, be fair to those who have worked hard to support a legislation that protects children, especially girls, from the dire consequences of abuse and teenage pregnancy," CRN said.

"It is unfair to the bill's authors as well as children's and women's rights advocates who have held consultations, helped refine, and participated in the legislative process fair and square since the bill was first filed in the 17th Congress. This bill has been almost a decade in the making!" it said.

CRN pointed out that SB 1979 was unanimously passed by the House of Representatives in 2023 and has stalled in the Senate since last August.

"What's the point of plenary deliberations if we can't use this time to thresh out differences, propose amendments, or improve the current language of the bill?" it said.