Sen. Win Gatchalian underscores the importance of having exemplary teachers for attaining high quality educational system. During Tuesday鈥檚 hearing on Senate Bill Nos. 2830, 2840, 2884 and House Bill No. 9979, which seek to amend Republic Act No. 7836 (Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994), Gatchalian said the purpose of the hearing is to see whether the law, which was enacted 51 years ago in 1976, is still attuned to the innovations and signs of the times. 鈥淭he purpose of amending this is because of new developments and innovations in relation to the teaching profession and as we all know, technology evolves pedagogy systems and procedures,鈥� Gatchalian said January 12, 2025. He said the law was amended twice, in 1994 and in 2004. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Panel on basic education chairman Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is slated to launch a probe into the controversial Comprehensive Sexuality Education being implemented by schools pursuant to Department of Education Order (DO) No. 31.
Gatchalian, who chairs the chamber鈥檚 panel on basic education, told reporters in an ambush interview on Wednesday that he held a consultative meeting with various stakeholders who have concerns about DO No. 31 and Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1979, otherwise known as the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnant Act of 2023.
鈥淭he Christian community is concerned about SBN 1979, so as chairman of the Senate committee on basic education, I listened to their grievances, their concerns. And they are also concerned about the current comprehensive sexuality education, which is being implemented now,鈥� said Gatchalian.
READ: Hontiveros refutes critics of prevention of adolescent pregnancy bill
鈥淪o I will conduct a hearing on the present comprehensive sexuality education that is being implemented now through DO No. 31. So there are two鈥攖he proposal on the floor and the current DO No. 31 that is being implemented regarding comprehensive sexuality education,鈥� he added.
According to the lawmaker, one of the concerns raised by the Christian community was that students at any level鈥攅ven those in kindergarten鈥攚ould be subjected to comprehensive sex education.
Apart from this, he said it was also concerning for the group that SBN 1979 may be too 鈥渁ttuned鈥� to international standards, noting that Westerners are more liberal when it comes to sex education.
鈥淵un ang isa sa mga concerns nila doon sa batas pero ang concern ko naman [ay] doon sa ipinapatupad ngayong DO No. 31,鈥� said Gatchalian.
According to Gatchalian, his panel is already preparing the documents needed for the probe. Pressed when he is expected to launch the investigation, he said he鈥檚 eyeing conducting it by 鈥渘ext week or the week after.鈥�
Before this, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, author of SBN 1979, already refuted the circulating 鈥渓ies鈥� surrounding the legislation.
鈥淭he lies being spread on social media against this bill are shocking and infuriating. We all want what鈥檚 best for our children, but outright lies, misinformation, disinformation, and promoting fear can lead to more harmful decisions about our teen鈥檚 lives. They鈥檙e just confusing us,鈥� she said.
The opposition lawmaker鈥檚 remarks came after the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution鈥檚 Project Dalisay made an online petition seeking to junk SBN 1979, claiming that the legislation poses a significant threat to the country鈥檚 societal, moral, and spiritual foundations.
Hontiveros, during a press conference also on Wednesday, debunked one by one these 鈥渓ies,鈥� maintaining that the legislation contains no provisions seeking to encourage masturbation in children aged 0 to 4 or teach bodily pleasure to children aged 6 to 9.
鈥淎bsolutely none of those concepts exist in our bill. Those lines in their supposed rebuttal are complete and total fabrication,鈥� said Hontiveros.
She likewise emphasized that the controversial Comprehensive Sexual Education is not derived from Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe but only from responsible parenthood and reproductive health law.
鈥淭here is also nothing in the bill that states that foreign policies must be followed. So their posts that the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill is unconstitutional are really wrong,鈥� said Hontiveros.
鈥淚 can confidently say [that] these outrageous claims from Project Dalisay were pulled out of thin air,鈥� she added later on.