President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed strong disapproval of Senate Bill (SB) 1979, the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Bill, calling its elements “abhorrent” and charging that it promotes “woke” ideologies.

“I finally read in detail Senate Bill 1979 and I was shocked. I was appalled by some of the, some of the elements of that, because this is all this ‘woke’ that they are trying to bring into our system,” Marcos told reporters on Monday.

The term “woke” refers to being aware of and being actively attentive to societal issues, but it often sparks debate when traditional values clash with progressive ideas.

Marcos criticized the bill for suggesting that children be taught how to engage in intimate activities, describing it as “ridiculous” and “abhorrent.”

“You will teach four-year-olds how to masturbate, that every child has the right to try different sexualities. This is ridiculous,” Marcos said.

“I’m already guaranteeing, (even) if this has not yet passed, if this bill is passed in that form, I guarantee to all parents, teachers, and children, I will immediately veto it,” he said.

The President recalled the sex education that he had received as a student, contrasting it with the contents of SB 1979.

“When I was talking about sex education, I remembered our sex education when I was in school. And what we were taught was anatomy. What is the anatomy of the male and female reproductive systems. I even remember watching a video of cells dividing to become a baby. That’s what we were taught,” Marcos said.

While opposing SB 1979 in its current form, Marcos emphasized the importance of proper sex education in schools to address issues like teenage pregnancy and HIV.

“I stand by my answer that sex education is extremely important,” he had said on Thursday. “The consequences of early pregnancy, the prevalence of HIV — it is needed to be taught so that teenagers know this.”

No such provisions

In reaction, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Monday clarified that SB 1979 has no provisions for teaching children how to pleasure themselves sexually.

Hontiveros rejected the President’s assumption that the bill would encourage children to “try other sexualities.”

“Mr. President, with all due respect, it is clear that the bill does not even contain the word ‘masturbation.’ It also does not include ‘try different sexualities,’” Hontiveros said in a social media post.

“Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) contains the very same elements you support: teaching children about anatomy and the consequences of early pregnancy. These are also the things we are advocating for,” she added.

She, however, expressed a willingness to accept amendments to refine the bill “so we can move it towards passage.”

False information

Last week, Hontiveros slammed the “false information” circulating about the proposed measure, particularly the claim of Project Dalisay which is led by the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution (NCFC).

Hontiveros on Monday clarified that SB 1979 has no provisions for teaching children how to pleasure themselves sexually.

According to the senator, the bill states that Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) will be “guided by DepEd and international standards.”

“This means that international standards will be used merely as guidelines, as long as they are helpful to the welfare of the youth. There is no intention or obligation under the law to blindly copy any international standard,” she said.

She continued: “It does not mean that everything published by Unesco or WHO (World Health Organization) will be copied. Of course, if there are elements that are not suitable in the context and culture of the Philippines, they will not be used. This is simply common sense.”

Hontiveros stressed it will still be the Department of Education (DepEd), together with other relevant agencies, that will be responsible for implementing the CSE, contrary to the claim of Project Dalisay.

A significant threat

In an online petition, Project Dalisay claimed the proposed measure “poses a significant threat to our societal, moral, and spiritual foundations.”

The group expressed its strong opposition to the CSE program, which it said “includes topics that challenge traditional family values, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, and rights related to sexual activity and reproductive health.”

“The program introduces concepts like ‘gender fluidity’ and ‘sexual diversity,’ suggesting that people can choose their sexual identity beyond the binary of male and female,” the petition read.

“It also emphasizes sexual rights, which could be interpreted as encouraging early sexual activity, and includes discussions on contraception, abortion, and non-traditional relationships. These concepts contradict traditional Christian and Islamic morality regarding marriage, procreation, and family life,” it said.

According to former Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, who chairs the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches’ Legal Advisory and Public Policy Review Commission, 11 senators have pledged to reject the measure.

At least three senators — Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Joel Villanueva — have spoken out against the proposed measure.