ADMINISTRATORS of three high schools in the University will uphold Catholic moral teachings on sexuality amid the plan of the Department of Education (DepEd) to launch a reproductive health (RH) education curriculum.
UST Senior High School (SHS) Principal Pilar Romero said the school wants to contribute to the formation of “sound sexuality” among students through subjects such as Fundamentals of Faith, Understanding Culture, Society and Politics and Hope Optimizing Physical Education.
“[These subjects] will integrate formation in sound sexuality, grounded on the teachings of the Church and not simply reproductive health,” Romero said in an interview with the Varsitarian.
The subjects will also foster awareness on social, moral, political and economic issues in the country, Romero said.
SHS faculty members have been educated on the administration’s stand in line with the Catholic Church’s, and have been urged to show this solidarity “in their words and actions within and outside the classroom,” she said.
Junior High School (JHS) Principal Marishirl Tropicales said health education must be implemented by integrating sexuality and reproductive health topics in science, health,araling panlipunan (social studies) and Christian living subjects that would also be anchored on Catholic values.
Education High School (EHS) Principal Loreto Sauz echoed Tropicales, saying the reproductive system is “already part of the science subject,” and could be integrated with health education and Christian living.
Wilberto Lumaban, supervising instructor of Christian Living Education (CLE) in EHS, said the proposed curriculum must be modified according to the principles of the University.
“Hindi naman kailangan sundin `yan — hook, line, and sinker. We have to fine-tune all of those in accordance to the Catholic principles that we are holding on to,” Lumaban said.
The integration of topics in relation to RH education is placed under the “moral aspect” of the CLE subject, Lumaban said.
Lumaban also said EHS students were “still young” to be given concrete examples and concepts in RH education.
“[B]uti kung college [students] `yan [who can] already process certain concepts and `yung nuances [ng] mga concepts na `yun [ay] madaling ipaliwanag [at] madali nilang maintindihan,” he said.
Sauz and Lumaban said the DepEd has yet to release a curriculum for RH education. Romero, however, is opposed the idea entirely.
“I do not believe in reproductive health because it tends to isolate reproduction from the totality of the human person,” Romero said.
Romero also stood with EHS and JHS administrators in opposing the plan of the Department of Health to distribute condoms among high school students. She said the program was a “commodification of sex.”
“It is tantamount to saying [that] it is all right to have sex whatever your status may be as long as you make sure that you will not be infected or the chance of pregnancy is reduced,” Romero said.
