07/09/2026
What do young students need to know about their changing bodies, relationships, and health—and how prepared are their teachers to answer?
Reproductive health education took center stage as Philippine Normal University (PNU) faculty members and graduating students participated in an online orientation on August 26, 2026. Primarily organized by the Office of the Vice President for Academics (OVPA) in partnership with the Center for Health Solutions and Innovations, Inc. (CHSI), the event focused on reproductive health, its policy foundations, and its place in curriculum implementation.
Held via Zoom, the activity—titled “Reproductive Health Education: Online Orientation for Faculty and Graduating Students”—brought together nearly 200 participants, including university officials, directors, deans, faculty members, administrative personnel, and graduating students. In her welcome remarks, Vice President Dr. Marilyn U. Balagtas highlighted the responsibility of teacher education institutions (TEIs) to prepare future teachers for issues that affect learners beyond the classroom. She emphasized the importance of equipping educators to address reproductive health concerns with appropriate knowledge and sensitivity, particularly as they work with adolescents and young adults.
The main session was led by Mr. Cris C. Gonzales, Curriculum Consultant, Trainer, and Creative Pedagogy Specialist at CHSI Philippines. Drawing on over 25 years of experience in education, arts, culture, and development, Gonzales facilitated a comprehensive discussion on adolescent reproductive health, policy implementation, and practical approaches for integrating the topic into daily teaching and learning.
To contextualize the discussion, Gonzales presented pressing national data on adolescent pregnancy, HIV, and sexually transmitted infections, drawing attention to the continuing reproductive health challenges faced by Filipino youth. He noted a concerning decline in HIV awareness among young people and highlighted the dangers of relying on unreliable information sources, especially when students lack access to trusted adults and appropriate health services. Particular attention was given to the rising incidence of pregnancy among younger adolescents, further underscoring the critical role educators play in providing accurate, age-appropriate information and fostering safe classroom environments.
Transitioning from data to actionable policy, Gonzales discussed DepEd Order No. 25, s. 2025, which outlines the implementation of Reproductive Health Education (RHE) for adolescent learners in basic education. He explained that the policy specifically calls for the integration of RHE across Grades 5 to 12 rather than treating it as a stand-alone subject. The orientation seamlessly broke down the policy’s guiding principles and core content areas, which span values and personal development, adolescent growth and development, gender and development, rights and protection, healthy relationships, and reproductive health itself.
To bring these policies into the classroom, Gonzales detailed how RHE can be woven into existing learning areas through both explicit and implicit approaches. While explicit integration connects RHE themes directly to specific learning competencies, implicit integration utilizes relevant content, activities, or teaching strategies to organically address RHE concepts. To support this, he shared a variety of teaching resources and creative pedagogies designed for discussing sensitive topics. These included participatory activities, specialized teacher training materials, e-books, and arts-based approaches that encourage student reflection and open dialogue.
The session further highlighted that successful RHE implementation relies heavily on robust teacher preparation, adaptive curriculum development, appropriate instructional materials, and active coordination among schools, families, and communities. This theme carried into a dynamic question-and-answer segment co-facilitated by Gonzales and Ms. Leda Dela Cruz of CHSI Philippines. Participants utilized this time to seek clarifications on RHE implementation and share their personal reflections on the challenges of discussing reproductive health with learners.
For PNU, this dialogue is particularly relevant to its mandate as the National Center for Teacher Education, where preparing future educators extends far beyond subject mastery to include the real-world challenges they will encounter in schools. The orientation also paved the way for deeper collaboration between PNU and CHSI Philippines. Moving forward, the two institutions aim to strengthen the integration of RHE across teacher education programs, refine instructional materials and teaching strategies, and improve both assessment practices and student support mechanisms.
Following the main sessions, PNU presented Certificates of Appreciation to Gonzales and Dela Cruz in recognition of their invaluable contributions to the activity. Finally, Dr. Joel G. Tubera, Director of the Institute of Creative Expressions and Human Movement Education, formally closed the event. He thanked CHSI Philippines for enriching the academic dialogue and reiterated the importance of empowering teachers with the knowledge and confidence to engage learners on critical health concerns. The program concluded with a virtual group photo, marking the end of the orientation and the beginning of a continued commitment to strengthening reproductive health education.
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