President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed strong opposition to certain provisions of Senate Bill (SB) 1979 on sex education or the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act, which aims to introduce more comprehensive and inclusive approaches to the subject in schools.
In a media interview at Bonifacio Global City on Monday, January 20, Marcos said he would reject what he described as “woke” elements in the proposed legislation, including teaching young children about masturbation and encouraging exploration of different sexualities.
“Over the weekend, I finally read in detail Senate Bill 1979, and I was shocked, appalled by some of the elements of that. You will teach four-year-olds how to masturbate. That every child has the right to try different sexualities. This is ridiculous. It is abhorrent. It is a travesty of what sexual and sex education should be to the children,” Marcos said.
Marcos added that parents should have a say in what and when their children are taught. As a parent and grandparent, he also made it clear that he feels strongly about the issue.
Despite his reservations about certain elements of the bill, Marcos reiterated his belief in the importance of providing accurate information about reproductive health.
“I still believe that sex education in terms of teaching kids the anatomy of the reproductive systems of male and female is extremely important. The consequences of early pregnancy, the prevalence of HIV, kailangan ituro lahat ‘yan para alam nung mga kabataan,” Marcos said.
However, he drew the line at what he called the “absurdities” in the bill, which he believes go beyond the scope of appropriate sex education for children. “If this bill is passed in that form, I guarantee all parents, teachers, and children: I will immediately veto it,” the President said.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, the author of SB 1979, dismissed claims about the bill as “fabrications,” specifically addressing allegations that it encourages masturbation for children aged 0 to 4 or teaches bodily pleasure to children aged 6 to 9.
Their remarks followed an online petition submitted by the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution’s Project Dalisay, calling for the rejection of the bill. (TCSP)
