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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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MANILA – Among the Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines holds the most number of teen births.
State records showed that 600 teenage women aged 19 years and below give birth every day in the Philippines.
To address the rising teen pregnancy rates, Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said the government should strengthen sexuality education in school-based curriculum.
Having sex education in schools is “important,” Aquino said during the hearing of the Committee on Education on the status of the implementation of reproductive health (RH) education in schools.
The senator said the Department of Education is currently reviewing the country’s curriculum on the RH and Sexuality Education.
“So hinihikayat natin ang iba’t-ibang grupo na magbigay ng komento,” he added.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chief of the Committee on Health, said the problems of teen pregnancy also contribute to the large number of out-of-school young women.
“Hindi lang tayo sa Rio Olympics silver medallist. In Southeast Asia, we are a gold-medalist in having the highest rate of teen pregnancy,” Hontiveros previously said in a speech at the Ideas Positive National youth Forum on Public Health Bayanihan Center.
She also expressed support for the full implementation of the comprehensive sexuality education component of the reproductive health law.
The Department of Education said there are a total of 179 learning competencies for reproductive health education in the K to 12 Program./PN
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