The Department of Education (DepEd) is open to any suggestions regarding a viral video discussing the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) program, which was included in a bill filed in the Senate, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said on Wednesday.

Angara was referring to a video posted on the Facebook page of Project Dalisay under the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution (NCFC), in which several personalities expressed opposition to some provisions of the CSE program.

One of the critics was former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno who said, “This would only awaken the sexuality of children at a young age.”

Sereno, the chairperson of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches Legal Advisory and Public Policy Review Commission, added, “This is an international program endorsed by Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund).”

Some of the mandatory provisions of the proposal include class discussions on masturbation for children aged 4, anal and oral sex for ages 17-18, and consensual sex.

“Our children don’t even know how to bargain at the market, but we will teach them how to negotiate sex,” Sereno said.

NCFC national director Caloy Diño said, “This will destroy their innocence. It will awaken things that should not be awakened.”

Angara, however, clarified that the DepEd would ensure that the focus would be on the health and well-being of the youth, as the department plays an important role in shaping their life skills, values and behaviors.

“We are focused on the data behind each policy. This includes addressing issues that our youth face, such as teenage pregnancy, HIV and gender-based violence,” Angara said in a statement.

“The DepEd ensures that our steps address the needs of our students, especially in how they interact with themselves and with others,” he added.

The Comprehensive Sexuality Education program was included in Senate Bill 1979, or the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023, which Angara had co-authored with Senators Risa Hontiveros, Imee Marcos, Ramon Revilla Jr., Bong Go, Cynthia Villar and Raffy Tulfo.

“I would like to clarify that I had not filed any version of this. I was included as a co-author because, at the time the committee report was filed, I was the chair of the finance committee and the bill includes a section on appropriation,” Angara explained.

“These efforts require a multi-sectoral approach. As chair of the youth committee in the Senate, we took proactive steps to address the alarming rise in teenage pregnancies,” the former senator added.

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