Leyte guv favors sexuality education in schools

By Provincial Media Relations Center
September 23, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla said he plans to set talks with the Department of Education in the region to discuss on how to carefully, but effectively thread on the sex education in schools issue.

This as the governor expressed alarm that mothers giving birth are getting younger, while the number of unwed are increasing.

The governor added that one way of addressing this statistics is teaching sexuality in schools, particularly among high school students.

“It is alarming that our young mothers are as young as 13 to 14 years old. If they could be properly informed on sexuality and making them aware of appropriate behaviors, we can lessen this number of pregnancies in our locality,” Gov. Petilla said during his recent visit to a school in Brgy. Maragongdong, Dagami, Leyte.

He said it would be safer for children to learn about sexuality in schools, where information is checked thoroughly, and where the children can ask questions without feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable compared to asking the same from their parents.

Considering the opposition sex education in schools gets particularly from the Church, this is a matter that should be given much weight and talked about exhaustively before implementation.

The province is presently implementing a holistic approach to address teenage pregnancies, to decrease maternal and child mortality, and providing facilities and services to pregnant and expectant mothers in the province.

To recall, prior to the opening of classes during the present school year, DepEd has issued a statement on the need for a sex and reproductive health to be included in the curricula of public schools.

The reason behind DepEd’s plan is the growing population of the country and the detrimental effects of this social concern. It is aimed that through proper sex education, the youth will be educated on the importance of family planning and health.

According to the DepEd, sex education will open the minds of students on how to value life and their sexuality. Reproduction, human sexuality, and body image are already being discussed in subjects like Biology, MAPEH, and even in Values Education.