The planned inclusion of sex education in both primary and secondary
schools has started a great deal of debates in the Philippines. Since
the proposed incorporation of sex education in elementary and high
school curriculum pushed by Education Secretary Mona Valisno, various
groups have started to voice out their opinion either agreeing or
disagreeing with the said notion.
Many of the inhabitants
of the Philippines, a country known to be the center of Catholicism in
Asia and a very conservative country sees this proposal as an aggressive
act that will result to catastrophic damages. Moreover, the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), a governing body of the
Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines believe that such act will
promote pre-marital sex and propagate immoral ideas and virtues.
The
author of this article greatly appreciates and respects the views of
the conservatives but let us not close all of the doors for the said
proposal, though in the first look, the proposal is so negative but
thinking twice and listening first to the views of the opposite side
before deciding to be against or pro is a better way of coming up with
the best decisions.
First, is there really a problem and
will the inclusion of sex education to education curriculum solve such
problem? As the data provided by the Forum for Family Planning and
Development Inc. show, there are two million teenage Filipina girls who
are pregnant at this moment while more than four million Filipinos aged
15-19 have already had sexual intercourse (most don't even know safes
sex). Thus, such figures will show you the possibility of future
increase in abortion and over-population because of unwanted pregnancy,
not only that, there will be more drop-outs (mostly in women) among high
school students which will also increase the number of the out of
school youth and will inevitably cause a big problem in the Philippine
economy, a state classified as a third world country. Moreover, not
knowing proper and safe sex will also increase the number of AIDS
victims and many other sex-related sickness , it’s a fact that most male
teenagers involve themselves into unsafe sex such as going to bars and
sleeping with women they don’t even know without using any protection.
See, even just having lack of knowledge about sex can lead into a very
disturbing domino effect.
Sex education will teach teenage
Filipinos safe sex and is a very effective tool in fighting the very
prevalent problems stated above. Sex education promotes ideas such as
the right time to marry, the burdens of being a single/teenage mother
and the fine line that separates love and lust.
On the
other hand, most of the conservatives look at the proposal with closed
eyes and ears, just hearing the topic “sex-education” already is for
most of them immoral without even listening or trying to analyze why
some people agree to it.
Their very main argument is that
sex education will promote premarital sex to teenagers and will lessen
the degree of morality among Filipino teenagers.
As to the
promotion of premarital sex, sex education is not the promoter but is
the solution for it. Teenagers and children even before reaching 10
years of age already have an idea on how to do sex even without sex
education so this problem must not be blamed on the proposal, such acts
are learned mostly in watching TVs, internet pornography which is very
rampant and even sharing of experiences peers. Let’s be realistic, no
matter how we say that we are in a conservative country, it’s a fact
that children even in young age already know how to use their organs.
Accepting that there is a problem is the first step in solving it,
sex-education will open teenagers minds on the effects of engaging in
pre-marital sex and unsafe sex and will be a daily reminder that there
is proper time and way to do things.
Also, the church
argues with the reasoning of morality but morality is not the issue
here, it’s the health and the future of the young Filipinos, the state
must approve and impose acts and rules just by looking if it’s for the
welfare of the people and not if it’s moral or immoral according to the
church; it’s clearly stated in Article 2 Section 6 of the Philippine
Constitution (1987) that “the separation of church and state shall be
inviolable”.
Sex education is not about having sex, it's
about understanding how can premature sexual intercourse affect our
lives. It's more like a tried and tested revivalist's technique; "first
take the sinners on a tour of hell, after which heaven would appear more
inviting."
Friday, 2 March 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Same-sex Marriage in the Philippines
Same-sex marriage is a big issue today not only in the Philippines
but in the whole world as well. As of today, there are 10 countries
that allow same-sex marriages nationwide: Argentina, Belgium, Canada,
Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, and
Sweden. Same-sex marriages are also performed and recognized in the
Brazilian state of Alagoas, Mexico City and parts of the United States.
The most recent news about the acceptance of gay marriage was in New
York which is just a proof that it really is true that the world is now
being more open on gender equality not only in men and women but also
in gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transgenders and becoming less
prejudice and discriminative.
As in the case of the Philippines most of the populace look at the issue as a “nonsense” for according to them, why would we waste our time debating in a proposal that is obviously wrong; the Philippines is a Christian Nation and Christianity condemns homosexuality, many even say that homosexuals are already accepted in the society and this is a very big privilege so they must no longer propose an act like this cause this already is too much, marriage is also known as the holy matrimony inline with the teachings of the Bible, this act is a big disrespect to the Bible and Christianity for the Bible says that homosexuality is a sin and why would homosexuals be angry with the government if they can’t marry, in the first place, it’s their choice, nobody forced them to be gay!
These people's arguments and reasonings are obviously weak and wrong. First, I just would like to clarify that there is no verse in the Bible that says, “homosexuality is a sin” and it had never been mentioned in the Bible that God condemns homosexuals and that the church and the followers of the church must condemn homosexuality.
Second, why would they reject same-sex marriage by the reason of “The Philippines is a Christian Nation!”, it is clearly stated in Article 2 Section 6 of the Philippine Constitution (1987) that “the separation of church and state shall be inviolable”; thus tells us that there is no state religion, that the Philippines is not a Christian Nation and it must not base its laws with church principles.
Third, people say that marriage is inline with the Bible, therefore the church have a say in anything that involves marriage, the Bible stated rules about marriage and the state must follow these, gay marriage is not inline with the teachings of the Bible therefore it must not be allowed; “this is unfair!” if the state would reject same-sex marriage just because of this reasoning then we all have a very big problem, even the church don’t follow what the Bible says and the state already have marriage laws that is not based in the Bible; the Bible says that man is allowed to have one or more wives, the church and state doesn’t follow this; the Bible says that if a woman marries and is not a virgin, she must be stoned, this is not followed; the Bible says that a rapist must marry his victim, we don’t follow this, women even have the right to sue their rapists; the Bible says that if a man dies childless, his brother must marry his widow, we never followed this and the Bible says that divorce is forbidden, though we don’t have divorce in the Philippines, we still have anullment which is also like divorce that permits wed couples to separate.
And lastly, the most nonsensed reasoning is that “i’ts their choice to be gay, they must not blame the state if they can’t marry”, being gay is not a choice,who would ever choose to be hated, humiliated, threatened, rejected by family, friends and church, and in some cases beaten, even to death? How absurd to suggest that it is a choice!
Homosexuals are only asking to have their love be recognized with the same benefits as their heterosexual neighbours.
Contemporary marriage will not be eroded by the inclusion of others who wish to commit to a lifetime of love. The world needs more love, not less.
-Ronnie Barrientos
As in the case of the Philippines most of the populace look at the issue as a “nonsense” for according to them, why would we waste our time debating in a proposal that is obviously wrong; the Philippines is a Christian Nation and Christianity condemns homosexuality, many even say that homosexuals are already accepted in the society and this is a very big privilege so they must no longer propose an act like this cause this already is too much, marriage is also known as the holy matrimony inline with the teachings of the Bible, this act is a big disrespect to the Bible and Christianity for the Bible says that homosexuality is a sin and why would homosexuals be angry with the government if they can’t marry, in the first place, it’s their choice, nobody forced them to be gay!
These people's arguments and reasonings are obviously weak and wrong. First, I just would like to clarify that there is no verse in the Bible that says, “homosexuality is a sin” and it had never been mentioned in the Bible that God condemns homosexuals and that the church and the followers of the church must condemn homosexuality.
Second, why would they reject same-sex marriage by the reason of “The Philippines is a Christian Nation!”, it is clearly stated in Article 2 Section 6 of the Philippine Constitution (1987) that “the separation of church and state shall be inviolable”; thus tells us that there is no state religion, that the Philippines is not a Christian Nation and it must not base its laws with church principles.
Third, people say that marriage is inline with the Bible, therefore the church have a say in anything that involves marriage, the Bible stated rules about marriage and the state must follow these, gay marriage is not inline with the teachings of the Bible therefore it must not be allowed; “this is unfair!” if the state would reject same-sex marriage just because of this reasoning then we all have a very big problem, even the church don’t follow what the Bible says and the state already have marriage laws that is not based in the Bible; the Bible says that man is allowed to have one or more wives, the church and state doesn’t follow this; the Bible says that if a woman marries and is not a virgin, she must be stoned, this is not followed; the Bible says that a rapist must marry his victim, we don’t follow this, women even have the right to sue their rapists; the Bible says that if a man dies childless, his brother must marry his widow, we never followed this and the Bible says that divorce is forbidden, though we don’t have divorce in the Philippines, we still have anullment which is also like divorce that permits wed couples to separate.
And lastly, the most nonsensed reasoning is that “i’ts their choice to be gay, they must not blame the state if they can’t marry”, being gay is not a choice,who would ever choose to be hated, humiliated, threatened, rejected by family, friends and church, and in some cases beaten, even to death? How absurd to suggest that it is a choice!
Homosexuals are only asking to have their love be recognized with the same benefits as their heterosexual neighbours.
Contemporary marriage will not be eroded by the inclusion of others who wish to commit to a lifetime of love. The world needs more love, not less.
-Ronnie Barrientos
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