Sex ed Bill ignites firestorm

A PROPOSED law mandating sex education in all Philippine schools has triggered outrage in the predominantly Christian nation, with critics claiming this will weaken religious values and undermine parental authority on matters of morality.

The Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act or Senate Bill 1979 aims to make sex education mandatory in public and private schools to, among others, address the rising rate of adolescent pregnancies in the country. But a wave of objection from conservative and religious groups has put paid to hopes for a smooth passage for the Bill.