PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos firmly opposes the “absurd” policies of the proposed sex education curriculum in the country on Monday, January 20, 2025.
This statement was made following the controversy that surrounds the Senate Bill No. 1979, also known as the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention bill, which seeks to to address concerns over the influx of teenage pregnancies in the country.
The bill has so far divided the public as well as the senators.
Now, President Marcos Jr. has also expressed his concerns over certain provisions. According to him, the bill contains ‘woke’ elements that are not suitable for children.
“Over the weekend, I finally read in detail Senate Bill 1979. And I was shocked,” said President Marcos during a media interview at the launch of Tesla Center Philippines in Taguig.
He said that some provisions appalled him, particularly those that address the diversity in sexual identities.
“All this ‘woke’ that they are trying to bring into our system… That every child has the right to try different sexualities— this is ridiculous. It is abhorrent. It is a travesty of what sexual and sex education should be to the children,” he added.
Despite his remarks, the President acknowledged that he still considers sex education essential, particularly in addressing topics such as reproductive system anatomy, the consequences of teenage pregnancy, and the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), among others.
“Kailangan ituro lahat ‘yan para alam ng nung mga kabataan, pero ‘yung mga sinama nila na mga ‘woke’ na absurdities are abhorrent to me,” he said.
The bill is still under the scrutiny of lawmakers, but the President vows that even if it earns legislative approval, he will veto it.
“If this bill is passed in that form, I guarantee all parents, teachers and children, I will veto it,” he promised.
“I’m a parent and I’m a grandparent. So I feel strongly about this,” said Marcos Jr.
Just last week, Senator Risa Hontiveros— the one who authored the bill— held a press conference that one by one refuted all the allegations thrown about it. She called each of it a lie, especially the ones that claim that the bill will teach children about inappropriate contents.
