QC mayor bans DOH from giving out condoms in public schools

MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Sunday, January 15, has prohibited the Department of Health from distributing condoms in public schools in the city.

“We will not allow the distribution of condoms in public schools. We will allow the use of QC public health facilities, but not QC public schools,” Bautista said in his text message to city health officer Dr Verdades Linga.

The Department of Health said it is in the final stages of planning for the distribution of condoms in schools as part of its campaign against HIV-AIDS among the youth.

DOH Secretary Paulyn Ubial said they have started the program in Quezon City already.

“We’re actually in discussion with the Department of Education and we’re finalizing the guidelines,” Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said on Tuesday, January 10.

“I was also informed by our program managers that this was actually piloted already in Quezon City. We’re getting the data from that pilot study and titingnan nga natin how to move this forward,” Ubial added.

But the Quezon City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit debunked this, saying in a press release that there was no such action conducted in the city.

Addressing concerns that the program might lead to promiscuity, Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said the DOH’s plan will push through this year but will be done with “great sensitivity.“

Briones assured the public that condoms won’t be given out to students, like leaflets distributed in shopping centers. – Rappler.com