DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Advocates of women and children’s rights in Davao urge a city councilor to read thoroughly the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill before stating her opposition.
This comes after First District Councilor Pilar Braga, in a privilege speech at Tuesday’s Sangguniang Panlungsod session, called for opposition to the bill, claiming that it contains obscene language not appropriate for children, and takes away the right of parents to educate their children on sexuality.
The legislation, contained in House Bill 8910 and Senate Bill 1979, seeks to address rising cases of teen pregnancy by legislating a program adopting comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) curriculum set by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Braga said while the bill is based on UNESCO’s technical working guide, it contains provisions such as “teaching children as young as four years old about childhood masturbation, introducing six-year-olds to the concept of bodily pleasures through the five senses, and advocating that by age nine, children have sexual rights, which ‘intrude on the innocence of children’ by presenting ‘explicit and unnecessary content.’”
Speaking to reporters after the session, Braga called the bill “malaswa” (obscene) and its provisions “purely kabastusan” (vulgar).
The councilor said that matters on sexuality are best left for parents to teach their children.
“Let’s leave matters of morality and teaching children to the parents. They are the ones who know whether their children need this kind of education, and when. It should not be the law imposing on our parents,” she added.
Appropriate guidance
Braga’s stand is questioned by women and children rights advocates in the city, including Jeanette Ampog, executive director of Talikala, an NGO that supports women and children exposed to sexual exploitation and abuse.
Ampog wonders if Braga has read the entire bill, as she points out some provisions have addressed the councilor’s concerns.
Section 2 (h) of the proposed bill states that the act “promotes and recognizes the rights, duties, and responsibilities of parents, teachers, and other persons legally responsible for adolescents’ growth to provide appropriate guidance and direction in sexual and reproductive matters, consistent with the evolving capacities of the adolescent.”
She clarified that under the proposed law, the CSE curriculum involves parents and guardians through community-based programs aimed at education and awareness about adolescent sexuality and bodily autonomy. This support system helps parents guide their children in decisions related to sexual and reproductive health, as detailed in Section 8.
Ampog agrees that parents should teach their children about sexuality, but parents often struggle to give the right and appropriate information, and often use confusing terms.
“We have to be realistic. Many parents still consider sex and sexuality taboo,” she said.
Consequently, she said, many children and teens turn to the Internet where they encounter inappropriate and inaccurate information, including pornography.
Contrary to claims from critics like Braga, the bill does not state about teaching masturbation to young children. The bill stated its purpose is to “equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and values to make informed and responsible choices about their sexual and social relationships.”
Public health issue
Dr. Jean Lindo, chair of Gabriela Davao and nominee for the Gabriela Women Partylist, also agrees that teenage sexuality and pregnancy goes beyond parental responsibility, as there is shared responsibility between the family, institutions and the government.
“Not all parents are aware or adequately informed. Some parents didn’t finish their education, many are impoverished and focused on survival, and, sadly, some are even perpetrators of gender-based violence within their own homes,” she said.
The Gabriela leader said teenage pregnancy is a public health issue, and is in a way, a form of “state neglect” due to poverty and lack of adequate programs.
She points out that the goal of CSE, integrated at all levels of education, is to develop young people’s skills to make informed decisions.
The proposed CSE curriculum includes age- and development-appropriate topics such as human sexuality, informed consent, adolescent reproductive health, effective contraceptive use, disease prevention, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), hygiene, healthy lifestyles, health-seeking behaviors, gender sensitivity, gender equality, teen dating, gender-based violence, sexual abuse and exploitation, peer pressure, women’s and children’s rights, and pornography.
Ampog added that aside from its age- and culturally sensitive approach, the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act will be overseen by a council composed of key government agencies and professionals to ensure proper implementation.
“With all these agencies on the council, I doubt that they would allow poor implementation. I still believe that the agencies involved are responsible and accountable,” she said.
Braga has in the past criticized issues on sexual abuse, such as the spread of sleazy tabloids and the possible abuse of public Wi-Fi in Davao City for porn consumption.
The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act faces similar criticism across the regions, prompting seven senators to withdraw support of the bill. President Bongbong Marcos, who has earlier expressed reservations, is now reviewing a substitute bill filed by one of its main authors Senator Risa Hontiveros.
Teenage pregnancy in the country has risen 35%, with 2,320 cases in 2021 which increased to 3,135 in 2022. This has made the Philippines one of the highest adolescent birth rates in Asia. (davaotoday.com)
adolescent pregnancy prevention bill, davao city, philippines
