MANILA, May 29, 2009- A Catholic bishop sees no problem with sex education in schools but said that it should be taught "properly" and in accordance with the church teachings.
Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco said that teaching sex education is not a novelty, it only has to be taught to young people at the right time and with a Catholic perspective.
"The sacredness of sex is a gift from God. For me, sex education should be taught in a proper way and [should] match the age of the child," he said over Church-run Radyo Veritas.
"There should be a Catholic view of sex, meaning you are presenting sex in a proper way because others may be narrow minded," Ongtioco also said.
The bishop added that a different approach and presentation must also be used for elementary school pupils, high school students and college students.
He believed that the Department of Education should take the lead in imparting this information, in coordination with the Catholic Church and other competent agencies.
Opponents to the program said public school system was promoting premarital sex with its teachings about condoms and other contraceptives.
But officials of the education department said the goal of the program is to discourage, rather than encourage, the sexual act among unmarried young people.
The Catholic Church is strongly opposed to the use of contraceptives and other artificial birth control means. (Roy Lagarde)