hoya88 Solons fear DepEd leniency on crossdressing infringes parental rights

PHOTO FROM Agence France-Presse/INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Empowering primary and secondary students to tell their parents about their crossdressing preferences, as stated in the Department of Education (DepEd) comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), may already be infringing on parental discretion, lawmakers said on Monday.

During the hearing of the House of Representatives’ committee on basic education and culture on Monday, Sorsogon 1st District Rep. Marie Bernadette Escudero asked DepEd about how CSE is being done for Grade 4 students, or pupils around the age of nine.

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In response, DepEd Chief Education Program Specialist Isabel Victorino said that part of the discussions center on how to maintain proper personal hygiene and how to be more open in discussions, so that the benefits of developing healthy and positive sexuality and methods to avoid early pregnancy would be talked about.

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Victorino also said that proper communication with parents is being taught, so that students will be confident enough to talk about his or her preferred sexual orientation.

“Kaugnay ng maayos na komunikasyon sa kapwa […] (the student can be) confident enough, is very comfortable enough to explain, okay, what will be his or her preferred sexual orientation,” she said.

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“So halimbawa po, kapag usually, ang mga magulang sinasabi na ito ‘yong kailangan mong isuot, but if the child does not feel comfortable using that kind of attire, pwede po siyang ma-explain, and is very comfortable enough to say that this is better, I feel better with this kind of attire, without really judging this person na hindi ganyan yung gender niya or anything else,” she added.

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Committee chairperson and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo clarified if this was being taught in Grade 4, which Victorino confirmed.  Escudero meanwhile said she is confused as the topic of crossdressing no longer centers on reproductive health.

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“Okay, medyo na-confuse ako. Because my question, so medyo na-confuse ako.  Medyo napunta na tayo sa sexuality, no? Tama ba? Kasi my question was, how do you discuss healthy and positive sexuality and preventing early pregnancy?  So sa pananamit, tama ba yung intindi ko? Yung acceptance?” Escudero asked.

“At grade 4 po ‘yan ah, nine years old. Under  the RH law, adolescents dapat 10 years old. But again, please explain,” Romulo added, referring to Republic Act No. 10354  or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012.

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Romulo said encouraging children to speak against the outfit preferred by their parents may already step on parental responsibilities.

“Ma’am Victorino, kasi pag sinabi mong ganyan, lahat naman tayo in agreement eh.  Pero hindi ‘yan yung binanggit mo kanina.  Ang sinabi mo ito: mayroon mga iba yung pananamit nila iba […] So again, do not mislead the public na parang ang pinapalabas mo dito ay para sa reproduction because your very statement, and we can read it back if you will deny it, you said ‘yong pananamit at Grade 4,” he said.

“Ang ginagawa po ninyo, ino-override na naman ninyo yung magulang, instead of consulting the parents first, sinabi mo kanina, ‘yong pananamit, kung iba sila pananamit, gusto ninyo, bakit kayo, hindi magulang?” he asked.

Victorino eventually clarified that such topics were for Grade 9 or 14 to 15 year old students.  Romulo however said age might not even matter for this topic.

In a statement on Monday, GSIS said the transport hub dubbed as ‘Project Hub’, will be located at the corner of the Elliptical Road and Commonwealth Avenue.

“What a mistake.  The question was very clear to you, Grade 4 ‘yon.  Grade 4 ‘yon, maliwanag ‘yon, everyone is clear, we can read the records back.  Honorable Escudero asked about Grade 4, minention niya dito ‘yong page six, Grade 4 ‘yon ang binasa mo,” Romulo said.

“If we did not ask you, you would have been continually doing this in Grade 4?  Kahit nga Grade 9 eh.  Imagine you have not consulted the parents and then you will now in school tell the learners na effectively, ‘wag maniwala sa magulang?  Don’t you find that wrong?  Ikaw ‘yong nagsabi pananamit eh,” he added.

The House panel has been scrutinizing DepEd over the CSE, after several groups raised apprehensions with Senate Bill (SB) No. 1979, or the proposed Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023.

Romulo said it was eventually discovered that DepEd has been implementing CSE even without a law, using R.A. No. 10354 as basis.  According to the lawmaker, DepEd’s definition of CSE adheres with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) description — where sexuality includes discussions on emotional attachment, love, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, intimacy, and pleasure.

Criticism about the CSE comes from fears that children might not be able to fully comprehend sexual concepts.

Project Dalisay, a pro-children wing of the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution, has submitted an online petition seeking to junk SB No. 1979, claiming that the legislation poses a significant threat to the country’s societal, moral, and spiritual foundations.

READ: Marcos ‘shocked, appalled’ by anti-adolescent pregnancy bill’s contents 

But Senator Risa Hontiveros, principal author of the bill, claimed that criticisms towards the bill are mere fabrications and lies, saying that the proposed measure does not contain any provision seeking to encourage masturbation to children aged 0 to 4 or teach bodily pleasure to children aged six to nine.

READ: Hontiveros refutes critics of prevention of adolescent pregnancy bill 

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. initially supported the bill, saying that Filipinos need to understand how detrimental to health and to society as a whole teenage pregnancies are.  Howeverhoya88, the President last Monday said he is shocked and appalled by some of the details of the proposed law.

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