‘SEX EDUCATION’: Controversial program sparks protest; Education dep’t defends curriculum

ILOILO – The Department of Education (DepEd) has assured the public that the integration of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in schools adheres to age-appropriate and concept-appropriate guidelines.

This assurance was made by Dr. Nestor Paul Pingil, chief of the Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) of the Schools Division Office (SDO) – Iloilo Province, amid concerns raised by a viral explainer video claiming that the CSE “hypersexualizes children at a very early age.”

Dr. Pingil emphasized that the DepEd focuses on integrating concepts aligned with learners’ developmental stages and does not delve into technical aspects of sex or promote the use of contraceptives.

Instead, CSE centers on teaching values such as self-respect, self-care, and responsible social behavior, he clarified.

Opposition

The CSE program has faced backlash from Project Dalisay, a group under the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution.

They launched an online petition against CSE and a related proposed measure, Senate Bill 1979, the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act.

“We express strong opposition…as these initiatives conflict with the core values and beliefs upheld by many Filipino families, particularly those of the Christian and Islamic faith,” read part of the petition.

According to Project Dalisay, the CSE program “includes topics that challenge traditional family values, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, and rights related to sexual activity and reproductive health. The program introduces concepts like ‘gender fluidity’ and ‘sexual diversity’, suggesting that people can choose their sexual identity beyond the binary of male and female.”

The petition added: “It also emphasizes sexual rights, which could be interpreted as encouraging early sexual activity, and includes discussions on contraception, abortion, and non-traditional relationships. These concepts contradict traditional Christian and Islamic morality regarding marriage, procreation, and family life.”

As for Senate Bill 1979, the group said it mandates the integration of CSE into the national curriculum, which would be enforced across schools nationwide, without adequate consultation or consent from parents and guardians.

This bill, it added, also promotes the availability of contraception and reproductive health services to adolescents, a measure that it believes could encourage early sexual activity and undermine the values of abstinence and marital fidelity, which are vital tenets of Christian and Islamic teachings.

It’s About Helping Students

But according to Pingil, “The CSE framework is about helping students become responsible individuals, understanding changes in their physical and emotional development, and promoting healthy relationships.”

He also said CSE learning materials are subjected to rigorous quality assurance by the DepEd Central Office before being disseminated to regional offices and schools.

This stance of the SDO-Iloilo aligns with the official statement of DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, who reiterated the agency’s commitment to ensuring only appropriate content is included in the curriculum.

“Rest assured we will not accept inappropriate concepts being taught in our schools. We will abide by what the law states,” Angara said.

CSE Implementation Timeline

CSE’s integration to school curricula began in 2018 under DepEd Order No. 31, issued by then Education Secretary Leonor Briones. However, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its full implementation.

The program was intensified in 2022 with the resumption of face-to-face classes.

CSE concepts are integrated into various subjects, including Science, MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health), Araling Panlipunan, and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (ESP), focusing on topics such as physical changes, healthy relationships, and responsible use of social media.

Stop It?

Project Dalisay has called for the following actions from DepEd and the lawmakers:

* stop the implementation of CSE program and its inclusion of content that goes against the values of the Filipino family, particularly with respect to the teaching of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities

* ensure that parents and guardians have the primary right to guide their children’s education regarding sexuality, and that any such curriculum is transparent and subject to parental consent

* reject Senate Bill 1979 and any provisions within it that enforce the mandatory implementation of CSE or promote policies that could encourage early sexual activity, reproductive health services for minors, and the normalization of non-traditional gender and sexual identities

* ensure that any sexuality education curriculum is aligned with the values of Filipino families and respects the moral, spiritual, and educational integrity of children

“We firmly believe that the protection of parental rights, family values, and the moral upbringing of our children is essential to the future of our nation. We are not opposed to education on health and well-being, but we urge that such education be conducted in a manner that respects the values of Filipino families and protects the integrity of the Christian and Islamic faiths,” according to Project Dalisay.

Support

For its part, the Commission on Population and Development (CPD or PopCom) Region 6 has reiterated its support for CSE as part of the Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action to address adolescent pregnancy.

It, however, declined to issue a statement directly addressing the campaign led by the Christian community against CSE. The directive to withhold statements came from its Central Office.

Data from CPD Region 6 show that adolescent live births in Western Visayas decreased by 10% over three years, from 9,766 in 2019 to 8,787 in 2022.

The breakdown of adolescent live births in 2022 by province and highly urbanized city is as follows:

* Aklan – 694

* Antique – 555

* Capiz – 973

* Guimaras – 232

* Iloilo Province – 2,390

* Negros Occidental – 3,305

* Bacolod City – 256

* Iloilo City – 382

The decline in numbers reflects efforts to raise awareness about adolescent health and well-being, which the CPD attributes to integrated programs like CSE./PN

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