President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. voiced strong opposition, while co-authors pushed back their support over the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Bill aimed at addressing high adolescent pregnancy rates in the Philippines.
Marcos Jr. criticized certain provisions of the Senate Bill 1979 or the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act as promoting ‘woke’ ideologies he finds inappropriate for young learners.
“I was appalled by some elements of that. 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,” Marcos said during a media interview.
Co-authors of the Bill, Senators Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Cynthia Villar, Bong Go, Jinggoy Estrada, Loren Legarda, and Bong Revilla have also requested the removal of their signature from the committee report amid the public backlash of the CSE.
On social media platforms, misleading claims suggest that the CSE Bill encourages early sexual activity and introduces explicit content to children, leading to public uproar.
The National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution (NCFC), the group behind Project Dalisay, raised alarms over the program’s emphasis on sexual rights, which they argued could be “interpreted as encouraging early sexual activity.”
In response, education experts and advocates have debunked these assertions, with the bill’s author Senator Risa Hontiveros expressing disappointment over the spread of false information.
“We all want what’s best for our children, but outright lies, misinformation, disinformation, and promoting fear can lead to more harmful decisions about our teen’s lives.”
Moreover, the Child Rights Network criticized groups like Project Dalisay for misrepresenting the bill’s content, labeling their claims as “clear misrepresentations, fake news, and fear mongering.”
The United Nations in the Philippines has also called for efforts to combat misinformation about CSE, emphasizing that recently, there has been a circulation of false information regarding the program and the role of various UN agencies.
“In recent weeks, misinformation about CSE, and the role of various United Nations agencies, has circulated in the Philippines. The UN encourages all Filipinos to verify information they are exposed to,” Roi Avena, the Deputy Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to the Philippines said.
Local advocates defend CSE bill amid disinformation, backlash
Reaffirming their support for the bill, Gabriela Youth Davao Chairperson Allysa Ancheta stressed that integrating CSE into schools ensures a safer way for students to learn about sexual and reproductive health.
“Rather than allowing them to learn about sexual and reproductive health from unsafe and unreliable sources, it is far better to integrate CSE into educational institutions to ensure a more accurate, age-appropriate, and responsible approach to teaching these topics.”
Ancheta also noted that inadequate sexual and reproductive health education continues to contribute to the country’s high teenage pregnancy rates.
“The lack of proper sexual and reproductive health education is one of the main reasons our country continues to have one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy. This issue is closely linked to rising poverty rates, as early pregnancies often lead to economic hardships,” she said.
Ancheta strongly criticized the role of political debates and disinformation in shaping public perception of the bill and pointed to President Marcos Jr.’s widely debunked claim that the bill would teach 4-year-olds “how to masturbate” as an example of how misleading statements from influential figures have distorted the purpose of CSE.
“Instead of creating platforms to properly introduce, explain, and simplify the bill for the public—particularly for the youth and parents who would greatly benefit from it—some politicians recklessly make misleading statements that only fuel misinformation.”
The Protection of Women’s Equality and Rights – Ateneo de Davao University (POWER-AdDU), the pioneering women’s organization of the University, also condemned the spread of misinformation and fear-based narratives, which they argue that it distorts the true purpose of the bill and hinders necessary discussions on reproductive health, gender equality, and consent.
“The proliferation of misinformation and disinformation surrounding CSE—particularly unfounded claims that it promotes promiscuity, erodes moral values, or corrupts youth—reflects a deeper societal resistance to addressing sexuality through a lens of science, human rights, and public health,” POWER AdDU President Paula Isabelle Manuel stated.
“With access to factual education, young people can better protect themselves from unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and gender-based violence, reducing the risks that often arise from a lack of knowledge or exposure to misleading information,” Manuel added.
As cited in DepEd Order No. 31 s. 2018, Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) provides learners with scientifically accurate, age-appropriate, and rights-based knowledge on sexuality, aiming to empower them to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
Through the development of critical thinking, self-esteem, and healthy interpersonal relationships, CSE equips young people with essential life skills to navigate complex social and emotional changes while promoting responsible reproductive health behaviors.
Thus, the CSE bill, part of House Bill No. 8910 and Senate Bill No. 1979, aims to address adolescent pregnancy by integrating age-appropriate and fact-based reproductive health education into schools.
In response, Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a substitute bill on January 22, 2025, amending contentious provisions, but the legislation remains pending in the Senate.