Manila: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has called for the removal of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in schools and advocated instead for the retention of reproductive health education (RHE). In a virtual briefing on Wednesday, the lawmaker emphasized that RHE aligns better with the intent of the Republic Act No. 10354, also known as the Reproductive Health Law.

According to Philippines News Agency, Gatchalian stated that the RH Law was specifically designed to teach reproductive health rather than sexuality education. He highlighted that even Senator Pia Cayetano, the principal sponsor of the RH Law, confirmed that the original intent of the legislation was to educate students about reproductive health.

Gatchalian urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to revoke Department Order No. 31 S. 2018, which implements CSE, and replace it with a new directive focusing on RH education. He explained that the order should be canceled and a new department order should be issued to revise or implement RH education instead of CSE.

During a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Basic Education on Tuesday, which Gatchalian chairs, he raised concerns over the inconsistencies between CSE and the RH Law. He argued that the two concepts differ significantly, warning that the vague implementation of CSE can lead to confusion among educators and the use of teaching materials that do not align with Filipino values.

Gatchalian also highlighted that many teachers lack proper training in CSE as it was not part of their pre-service education, suggesting that this gap contributes to the challenges in effectively delivering sexuality education in schools.