On Wednesday, House Deputy Speaker Eddie Villanueva of CIBAC party-list claimed that the Department of Education (DepEd) is endorsing same-sex unions among Filipino youth, which he deems “anti-God” and unconstitutional.
Villanueva made this statement in response to the proposed Grade 10 curriculum for Araling Panlipunan, which includes discourse on gender rights and the LGBTQ+ community.
There are existing laws and regulations in the Philippines that aim to safeguard individuals belonging to different genders. Some examples include the anti-discrimination ordinances of Quezon City and Manila City, which prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. However, there is still a significant gender pay gap in the country that needs to be addressed.
Moreover, LGBT children in the Philippines face unique challenges and experiences that must be acknowledged and addressed. Efforts are being made to create a safe and inclusive environment for them in schools and other public spaces, but more work needs to be done to ensure their well-being and protection.
The same draft curriculum also covers topics like same-sex union benefits, the distinction between same-sex marriage and same-sex union, gender-based hate crimes, and discrimination at home, at school, and at work.
Bro. Eddie Villanueva opposes same-sex union ‘promotion’ in DepEd draft curriculum
“We are shocked to discover that the promotion of gender ideology, same-sex union and same-sex marriage is slowly creeping under our nose into the very curriculum of our basic education,” Villanueva, the founder of Jesus Is Lord movement, said.
“What is more worrying is the slant towards promoting and condoning such practices in the minds of our young students,” he added.
“Not only is this anti-God, but also clearly unconstitutional.”
Bro. Eddie Villanueva cited Section 13, Article 2 of the Constitution. It says, “the State shall promote the moral and spiritual well-being of our youth.”
“I do not see that the introduction of these topics into our basic education curriculum is heading the right direction,” he said.
“Though this is still a draft and, hopefully, will still undergo revisions, it is just very disturbing that there are proponents of gender ideology inside DepEd that inject this advocacy to the education of our youth,” Bro. Eddie Villanueva added.
In response, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa stated that such subjects are not new to the curriculum for basic education for the proper reasons.
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