MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has underscored the importance of Comprehensive Sexuality Education, citing the rise in teenage pregnancy cases. 

“Well, as long as – ‘yun na nga, because you know what, I think what you are talking about dumadami ang teenage pregnancy, dumadami ang single mothers, dumadami ang sakit,” Marcos Jr. said in a chance interview with the media in Burauen, Leyte following the ceremonial turnover of eight Yolanda Permanent Housing Projects on Friday, January 17. 

The subject recently became a center of discussion after lawmakers expressed concern on its implementation by the Department of Education as early as Kindergarten, and the Senate Bill No. 1979 or the proposed Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act. 

For the president, teaching Comprehensive Sexuality Education is imperative to educate adolescent mothers about motherhood. 

“Kasama na rin diyan, pagka teenager ‘yung nanay, hindi marunong alagaan ‘yung bata. Hindi nila alam – marunong alagaan ang sarili nila ‘pag buntis sila. Kung anong kakainin; kung nanganak na, kung ano ang ipapakain doon sa bata,” Marcos Jr. noted. 

“These are all of the things that we need to address. And so, the teaching of this in our schools is very, very, very important,” he added. 

The chief executive also believes there is a need to explain to children about “options” and “consequences” of early parenthood. 

“And to make young people, especially, knowledgeable about what are the options that are truly available to us, and what the consequences are – what the consequences are of having a child too soon, too early,” the president further explained. 

“Children having children is a very difficult situation for both the child and the parent,” Marcos Jr. added.