As parliamentarians committed to advancing evidence-based sexual and reproductive health and rights, we express our strong support for our counterparts and civil society organisations in the Philippines working to improve adolescent health outcomes, particularly through the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Bill and the legal provisions on comprehensive sexual education (CSE).
During our study tour to the Philippines in January 2025, we witnessed firsthand the impact of adolescent pregnancies on young people's futures and the essential role of well-informed policymaking in addressing this challenge. However, we also observed the increasing spread of disinformation and ideological narratives aimed at undermining efforts to equip young people with essential knowledge about their health and well-being.
One recent development in the Philippines is the introduction of the Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC) in the Antique province, a programme developed by the World Youth Alliance (WYA), an international anti-abortion advocacy organisation. While the HDC utilises human rights rhetoric and relies on values such as respect and empathy in educational institutions, concerns have been raised regarding the transparency and underlying intentions of the WYA. The organisation has been criticised for disseminating misleading information about reproductive health and for promoting content that contradicts established medical guidelines, potentially omitting critical information about sexuality during young people's transition to adulthood.
The WYA has received over €1.2 million in EU funding, despite allegations that it promotes content contradicting EU values and disseminates misleading information about reproductive health. An ongoing investigation by the European Commission is currently reviewing whether WYA's activities have breached EU funding conditions, following a parliamentary question raised by MEPs Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (S&D, Poland), Krzysztof Śmiszek (S&D, Poland), Lucia Yar (Renew, Slovakia), Maria Noichl (S&D, Germany), and Hanna Gedin (The Left, Sweden).
While
adolescent health and well-being education must always be culturally appropriate and locally adapted, such programmes must remain scientifically accurate, transparent, and accountable. Education should empower young people to make informed life choices, free from ideological distortion or hidden agendas.
As legislators, we therefore:
- Stand in solidarity with Filipino legislators and civil society organisations working to advance policies that protect young people's rights and health, particularly through the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Bill.
- Urge European institutions and national governments to review funding mechanisms to ensure that public funds are not directed to organisations engaged in misleading or harmful practices under the guise of education.
- Encourage continued scrutiny of disinformation campaigns that attempt to replace evidence-based health education with ideologically driven alternatives.
- Call for greater international coordination in identifying and responding to cross-border anti-gender networks that seek to roll back progress on gender equality, reproductive rights, and adolescent health.
The Philippines is not alone in facing these challenges; similar disinformation strategies are emerging across Europe and other regions, using well-funded campaigns to roll back progress on reproductive rights. We must remain vigilant and proactive in ensuring that young people, everywhere, have access to truthful, comprehensive, and culturally relevant education that supports their autonomy and future opportunities.
Signatories:
- Eva Biaudet, MP (Finland)
- Guillaume Gouffier Valente, MP (France)
- Lotta Johnsson Fornarve, MP (Sweden)
- Marilou McPhedran, Senator (Canada)
- Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, MEP (Poland)
- Baroness Elizabeth Grace Sugg, House of Lords (United Kingdom)
- Mia Katarina Margareta Tolgfors, MP (Sweden)
- Vanessa Weenink, MP (New Zealand)
- Ylenia Zambito, Senator (Italy)