Last week, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. made an impassioned critique of Senate Bill No. 1979, blasting some of its content as “woke” and “abhorrent.”
The bill, otherwise known as the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act, is intended to usher in comprehensive sex education across Philippine schools. For its supporters, the bill is long overdue and reflects an urgent need to educate young Filipinos on issues surrounding sex and relationships, with the country continuing to tackle high rates of teenage pregnancy and its consequences.
The proposed curriculum is described as the “process of acquiring complete, medically accurate, relevant, age-appropriate, developmentally appropriate, and culturally sensitive information and skills on matters relating to the reproductive system, its functions and processes, human sexuality, as well as forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, interpersonal relationships, affection, intimacy, and gender roles.”
Section 6 of the bill goes on to state that sex education will be a “compulsory part of education, integrated at all levels, with the goal of normalizing discussions about adolescent sexuality and reproductive health, and removing stigma at all levels.”
However, criticism of the bill has gained traction in recent days after a video released by a group of Christian organizations attacked its contents and intentions. Critics have specifically targeted an element of the bill that speaks of adhering to “international standards” of sex education. They argue that this terminology leaves the door open to teaching adolescents how to masturbate, asking questions about sexuality, and exploring gender identities, citing apparent examples from European curricula.
Now, Marcos has weighed in, vowing to veto the bill should it pass. Speaking at a Tesla launch event, Marcos echoed the sentiments of the outspoken Christian groups, saying that “this is all this woke [ideology] they are trying to bring into our system. You will teach four-year-olds how to masturbate, that every child has the right to try different sexualities… this is ridiculous!”
One of the leading proponents of the bill, Senator Risa Hontiveros, pushed back on this assertion, pointing out that there is no mention of masturbation at all, adding that the curriculum would be taught in a way that is suitable to the context and culture of the Philippines.
The Philippines, a majority Catholic country, is often grappling with questions that highlight the closeness of religion and politics across the region. A form of sex education was incorporated into the public school system as recently as 2012 for pupils aged 10 to 19 with the Reproductive Health Law. However, its contents are limited and it is not compulsory for private schools, many of which are Catholic schools.
As recently as last year I taught in a high school in Mindanao that followed the Department of Education curriculum. The only sex education was delivered in science lessons, limited to the mechanics of reproduction.
Students displayed a very limited understanding of issues including sex, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, consent, and sound relationships. This could also be a reflection of the fact that such issues are rarely talked about in the home either.
The school frequently dealt with issues of students in unhealthy relationships (particularly online) as well as instances of sexual misconduct. As a result, the school discussed how it could better address these issues by putting together its own sex education program.
Pre-teen pregnancies in the Philippines are rising, while the country has some of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Asia. Experts theorize that a “prevailing conservatism” and the Catholic Church are partly responsible for the rise by blocking reform to contraception and sex education.
Advocates of the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act argue that a more comprehensive sex education is needed to meet the demands of the day, especially considering younger Filipinos are becoming more sexually aware and instances of abuse are rising.
Senator Hontiveros even offered an olive branch to critics, including the president, by stating she is “willing to accept amendments to refine the bill so we can steer it to passage.”
However, it is telling that Marcos chose to lambast the bill with strong language despite his support for a form of sex education, including one that deals with “the consequences of early pregnancy [and] the prevalence of HIV.”
Marcos’ use of the term “woke” to describe the bill is also an indication of such language’s increased normalization in political discourse in the Philippines.
Labeling policies or ideologies that are seen as “woke” has proven effective for certain political movements in the U.S., culminating in President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The word “woke” and associated connotations have often been used to condemn issues around gender, identity and sexuality, which have become increasingly divisive in America.
Marcos’ use of the word is seemingly at odds with his usual diplomatic tone, indicating the political advantage he is seeking to seize to similar effect as his American counterparts, in the run-up to the Philippine mid-term elections in May.
The black-and-white depiction of a policy as going against the instincts of the heavily Catholic country could prove popular, but would do little to address the sustaining issue of teenage pregnancies and abuse which continue to have lasting impacts on the country and its youth.
