Lapu-Lapu ready for sex education

CEBU, Philippines - Public schools in Lapu-Lapu City will immediately enforce the teaching of sex education as soon as it gets an order from the Department of Education.

Schools division superintendent officer-in-charge Eduardo Ompad sees nothing wrong with the idea of integrating sex education in the country’s basic education curriculum.

“There’s nothing wrong with sex education. We have been teaching it to our pupils. The teaching of the parts of the human body, for instance, is included in “Science,” Ompad said.

Ompad said sex education will make the youth aware of the consequences of premarital sex and would address the rising cases of sex-related diseases among them.

The official clarified that sex education modules are specifically designed to raise awareness of the consequences of premarital sex, which is undertaken either by choice or due to pressure from peer groups.

The DepEd joins the United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) in the campaign called “Power of You,” which is also aimed at informing the youth about sex-related diseases and teenage pregnancies.

The program is being introduced initially in 29 public schools that are located at the National Capital Region, Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, Olongapo, and Masbate, which aims to reach at least 12,000 high school students in the first leg of the campaign for this year.

It is also designed to raise awareness in the importance of abstinence from sex and making the right decisions.

The Catholic Church is vocal in its opposition against sex education.

In 2005, DepEd came out with a module that extensively dealt with teaching reproductive health among elementary students.

But the DepEd stopped the undertaking when the Catholic Church and other religious groups raised a howl and prevented its implementation.

“Angayan man pud nga masayod ang mga tinun-an aron nga mamahimong responsible,” Ompad said. He said sex education will be integrated in the subjects Science, Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Araling Panlipunan.

The modules on sex education will be distributed to students from Grades 5 and 6, and high school.

“Asa pa man diay mahibawo ang mga bata nga bisan sa balay dili man ni hisgutan?” Ompad said. (FREEMAN NEWS)