They Say, I Say

In the recent discussion on prevalent cases of HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancy in the
Philippines ,one controversial issue has been the implementation of comprehensive sex education
to basic elementary and high school curriculum .On the one hand, DepEd and other educational
institutions argues that students should have access to formal education on the matter in order to
develop the youth’s awareness about reproductive health early (Hernando-Malipot, 2019) .On the
other hand ,the Catholic church contends that sex-education should be imparted by the parents to
their children and that what the school teaches promotes sexual activities to the teenagers (These
Last Days Ministries,2006) .
The problem is that although Philippines is a conservative and religious nation where it is
considered as taboo to discuss openly about sex, much less sex-ed, we have been topping the charts
consistently for the past six years as the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in Asia-Pacific
according to United Nations. (Mogato,2017). World Health Organization also stated that the
average pregnancy rate in our country is almost twice as high compared to the other countries in
South East Asia (Dom Galeon,2018) . In 2013, a study about Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality
by the Demographic Research and Development Foundation Inc. and the University of the
Philippines Population Institute, the ratio of youth aged 15 to 24 who are sexually active grew
from 23% in 2002 to 32% (Delizo ,2019 ).We have been negatively progressive on this social issue
but sex-education is yet to be fully developed and accepted by the Filipino society.

My own view is that the Catholic church and the state should not oppose each other but
rather should go hand-in-hand with this matter. Considering that more than 80% of our population
are Roman Catholic, it’ll be likely for people to follow the teachings of the church. However, we
should keep in mind that it is essential to address this issue with rational thinking, reliable
information and authentic knowledge through formal education. Although recently in an inflight
press conference held after World Youth Day,Pope Francis said that, “I believe that we must
provide sex education in schools. Sex is a gift from God, it is not a monster, it is a gift from God,
in order to love.”(Montagna,2019); the Catholic churches in our country had blocked proposed
laws countless of times in the past because they view sex-ed as a promotion of early sexual
encounter to the youth.( BBC NEWS,2010). The society should not keep on treating teenage
pregnancy and HIV/AIDs as a big elephant in the room. We should be aware of its negative impact
on the Filipino youth who are considered as the hope of our country.

In conclusion, the opposition between the doctrines of the church and the laws of the state
for education should not be the main priority. We should direct our efforts and resources for the
well-being of the society and the future of our country. We should always be open-minded because
we all need to be educated about our sexuality and reproductive health. As a student and a Filipino
youth, I encourage everyone to be proactive in solving major issues such as early pregnancy and
HIV/AIDs among the teenagers.
Prepared by: Isip, Erika Mae L.
BA BE ; BLOCK A
References:
Hernando-Malipot, M. ( 2019). Manila Buletin .Retrieved from.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/06/13/unesco-pushes-for-sexuality- education-policy-
paper-seeks-to-dispel-resistance/
These Last Days Ministries (2018).Philippine Catholic Bishops oppose sex-ed in
school.Retrieved from. https://www.tldm.org/news9/sexeducation5.htm

Mogato,M.(2017) Philippines has highest HIV infection growth rate in Asia-Pacific:

U.N. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-aids-
philippines/philippines-has-highest-hiv-infection-growth-rate-in-asia-pacific-u-n-
idUSKBN1AH3CW
Galeon,D. (2018)l.Retrieved from https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/05/13/the-pregnant-teen-
a-growing-problem/
Delizo,M.J. (2019). Mother knows best? Not in sex education, says group. Retrieved from
https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/03/08/19/mother-knows-best-not-in-sex-education-
says-group

Montagna ,D. (2019 ). Pope Francis: ‘We must provide sex education in
schools’.Retrieved from https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-we-must-
provide-sex-education-in-schools

Church vs state in Philippine sex education row (2010). Retrieved from

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-10552591