Republic of the Philippines

PHILIPPINE MODEL CONGRESS

Metro Manila

SEVENTH CONGRESS
Regular Session

Bill No. ______

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES NICOLE ANIKE DORGU, RAY PEREGRINO JR.,

and JORIZ LANZ COMETA (Co-author)

AN ACT
INTEGRATING COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION IN THE
CURRICULUM OF ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Sexuality education, commonly referred to as sex education and reproductive health

education, has remained a highly debatable topic in the Philippines; a phenomenon that has led to
the exorbitant teenage pregnancy rates.

In the recent years, the Philippines has been known to have one of the highest teenage
pregnancy rates in all of Southeast Asia, a notion that was validated when the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) stated, in a 2017 report, that the Philippines is the only country in the
Asia-Pacific region where the rate of teen pregnancies rose over the past two decades.

Teenage pregnancies put not only the health of the mothers in question at risk but it also
plays a role in the halt of our nation's progressiveness, especially when one considers the fact that
the youth are the future of our country. In fact in 2016, UNFPA conducted a study which concluded
that every year, the Philippines forfeits around P33 billion in lost income alone due to early
pregnancy.

With more and more youth giving birth, with one in five Filipinas becoming mothers by
age 19 according to the National Demographic and Health Survey circa 2017, and HIV becoming
more rampant with a 48 percent rise from May 2016 to May of 2017, it has become quite clear that
the need for better and more comprehensive sexuality education is at an all time high.

Advocate for Youth researchers studied the National Survey of Family Growth to
determine the impact of sexuality education on sexual risk-taking for young people ages 15 to 19,
and found that teens who received comprehensive sex education were 50 percent less likely to
experience pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only education which raises the
question as to why abstinence-only education is the form of sex education that is being pushed for.
 Researchers from the same US organization undertook exhaustive reviews of existing
programs to compile a list of programs that have been proven effective by rigorous evaluation.
Twenty-six effective programs were identified, twenty-three of which included comprehensive sex
education as at least one component of the program. The other programs were early childhood
interventions.

Of the 23 effective, comprehensive sex education programs: fourteen programs

demonstrated a statistically significant delay in the timing of first sex; 13 programs showed
statistically significant declines in teen pregnancy, HIV, or other STIs; 14 programs helped
sexually active youth to increase their use of condoms; 9 programs demonstrated success at
increasing use of contraception other than condoms; 13 programs showed reductions in the number
of sex partners and/or increased monogamy among program participants; and, 10 programs helped
sexually active youth to reduce the incidence of unprotected sex.

If the country were to spearhead enough interventions regarding comprehensive sex

education then we stand to reap benefits such as: delayed initiation of sexual intercourse, reduced
number of premarital sex cases, reduced number of sexual partners, and increased use of condoms
in a correct and consistent manner.

Real life events also showcase the significant edge of comprehensive sex education over
abstinence-only education such as in the case of America and the Netherlands.

America is known for its high teenage pregnancy rates, something that can be attributed to
the facts that sex education is not mandatory in all of the states, only 13 states as of late 2017
require sex education to be medically accurate, and a great number of parents believing that schools
are not the right venue for teaching sex education.

In contrast, the Netherlands has one of the lowest teenage pregnancy and STI rates in
Europe, something that can be attributed to the facts that sex education is mandatory, Dutch
parents tend to be more open to discussing relationships and sex with their children, and sex
education starts at a younger age while still remaining age-appropriate.

This only goes to show that comprehensive sex education can be advantageous to both a
country and its citizens, often resulting in lower teenage pregnancy and STI rates. Moreover, its
necessity is highlighted in Section 14 of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act
of 2012 (RA 10354).

This Act does not promote premarital sex or any form of sexual activity that contradicts the
Filipino culture but rather its primary objective is to strengthen and encourage healthy and
respectful relationships. Thus, reducing the rates of teenage pregnancy and HIV cases.

When enacted into law, this bill will empower young Filipinos with the knowledge of how
to protect their reproductive health; in particular it will protect young Filipinas from making
uneducated choices that can endanger not only themselves and their futures, but also our nation's
economy.
 In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

NICOLE ANIKE D. DORGU

RAY PEREGRINO JR.

 Republic of the Philippines
PHILIPPINE MODEL CONGRESS
Metro Manila

SEVENTH CONGRESS
Regular Session

Bill No. ______

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVES NICOLE ANIKE D. DORGU, RAY PEREGRINO

JR., and JORIZ LANZ COMETA (Co-author)

AN ACT
INTEGRATING COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION IN THE
CURRICULUM OF ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES

Be it enacted by the Philippine Model Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as “The Comprehensive Sexuality
Education Act of 2018.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State pursuant to
Section 15, Article II of the 1987 Constitution to protect and promote the right to health of the
people and instill health consciousness among them.

The State is required to establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated
system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society as stated in Section 2(1) of
Article XIV.

In addition, the State shall also provide age- and development-appropriate reproductive health
education to adolescents which shall be taught by adequately trained teachers in formal and
nonformal educational system and integrated in relevant subjects as mentioned in Section 14 of
the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (RA 10354).

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the terms below should have the
following meaning:

(a) Comprehensive Sexuality Education refers to a risk reduction and abstinence-plus-risk-

reduction sexuality education approach which covers abstinence as a choice option but also
informs students about human sexuality, age of consent, the availability of contraception, and
techniques to avoid Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

(b) Reproductive Health refers to a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system
and to its functions and processes. Reproductive health therefore implies that people are able to
have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom
to decide if, when and how often to do so.

(c) HIV Prevention Education refers to instruction on the nature of human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) and AIDS, methods of transmission, strategies to reduce the risk of HIV infection, and
social and public health issues related to HIV and AIDS.

(d) Formal Learning Institutes refers to institutions wherein formal education is classroom-based
and provided by trained teachers, whether the institution is a State University, a private school, or
a public school.

(e) Informal Learning Institutes refers to informal education typically happening outside the
classroom in after-school programs, community-based organizations, museums, libraries, or at
home.

(f) Neutral refers to a mode of teaching free from personal bias, discrimination towards minority
groups, and dissemination of inaccurate information.

(g) Minority groups refer to LGBTQ+ members, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Indigenous
Persons (IPs), and any other groups deemed to be in danger of discrimination.

(h) Youth refers to residents and citizens of the Republic of the Philippines between ten (10) and
twenty-three (23) years of age.

SEC. 4. Mandatory Sex Education. – The state enacts the universal implementation of a
mandatory 1 unit, neutral, age-appropriate, relevant, and medically-accurate sexuality education
in all formal and informal learning institutes that include HIV Prevention Education and is
guided by the following objectives:
● To provide the youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect themselves from
unintended pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections
● To provide the youth with the knowledge and skills needed to develop healthy attitudes
concerning adolescent growth and development, body image, gender, sexual orientation,
relationships, marriage, and family
● To ensure that the youth will receive integrated, comprehensive, accurate, and unbiased
sexual health and HIV prevention education and provide educators with clear tools and
guidance to accomplish that end
● To provide the youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to have healthy, positive,
and safe relationships and behaviors
 Provided, that implementation of appropriate course content, scope and methodology in
each educational level or group shall be allowed only after consultations with parents-teachers-
community associations, school officials and other interest groups. The Department of Education
(DepEd) and the Department of Health (DOH) shall jointly formulate a course syllabus which
shall be used by both formal and informal learning institutes and shall be made available through
both print and electronic means.

SEC. 5. Sexuality Education Seminars for Teachers. – In order to equip educators with
the skills necessary to teach sex education in a neutral manner, the formulation of an annual two-
day sexuality education seminar is needed. The seminar shall be a simultaneous event that takes
place in at least one venue per region, the contents of which shall be formulated by the DepEd
and DOH and made available through both print and electronic means in addition to being
posting in their various websites. Formal institutes are required to send at least one representative
to the seminar.

SEC. 6. Appropriations. – A portion of the amounts appropriated in the annual General

Appropriations Act (GAA) for Reproductive Health Law under the DOH and the budget
Enhancing the Basic Education System (K-12 curriculum) under the DepEd shall be allocated and
maximized in implementing of this act. Furthermore, other concerned agencies both private and
public can allocate fund for program implementation and development of the Act.

SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days after the
effectivity of this Act, the DOH secretary or his/her assigned Chairperson, the DepEd secretary or
his/her designated representative as Chairperson, and the authorized representatives of private and
public sectors, together with Non-Government Organizations, Faith-based organizations, people’s
and youth’s organization, shall jointly promulgate the rules and regulations for the effective
implementation of this Act.

SEC. 8. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason or reasons, any part or provision of this
Act shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, other parts of provisions not affected thereby
shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC 9. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or other
issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

SEC 10. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of general circulation.