Though there was a time when senator Juan Miguel “Migs” Zubiri tried to portray himself as pro-LGBTQIA, he has come out to oppose including teaching about sexual orientation as part of comprehensive sex education (CSE).
Senate Bill 1979, or the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, is currently being discussed to deal with teenage pregnancy in the country. In 2019, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) determined teenage pregnancy as a “national and social emergency”, though this was not surprising considering that in 2022, at least 3,135 adolescent girls younger than 15 years old gave birth (which was 35.13% higher from the 2,320 recorded in 2021).
The proposed comprehensive sexuality program will be “a compulsory part of education, integrated at all levels with the end goal of normalizing discussions about adolescent sexuality and reproductive health and to remove stigma at all levels.” And Section 6 of the bill states that CSE “shall be integrated in the school curriculum, guided by [the Department of Education] and international standards.”
“Sang-ayon ako sa teenage pregnancy health care, but without the education, or forceful introduction, of sexual orientation and sexual education to kids,” Zubiri said. “Tanggalin dapat lahat ng sections which discusses sexual orientation ng kabataan. What does sexual orientation have to do with adolescent pregnancy? Bakit kasama pa sexual orientation? Pagtuturo ng LGBTQ sa mga kabataan, that has nothing to do with adolescent pregnancies.”
In truth, including SOGIESC as CSE topic is necessary.
The HIV situation in the Philippines, as an example, is driven by men who have sex with men (MSM), with the new HIV cases reported from April to June 2024 acquired through male-to-male sex (3,705/5,102).
In a post from his office, Zubiri, who described himself as a conservative lawmaker, added that the youth should instead be taught morality since “teaching sexual pleasure and orientation at such a young age could lead to confusion and moral decline.” Zubiri did not elaborate on whose version of “morality” is to be taught.
When he was not yet a senator, Zubiri said that whle he did not favor granting LGBTQIA people in relationships marriage equality, he was – at least – in favor of granting them legal unions to help them “in the disposition of properties, in the ownership of properties.”
