Group wants sex education included in OFWs' pre-departure seminar

A militant migrant workers’ advocacy group on Friday pushed for the inclusion of sex education in the pre-departure orientation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). “If sex education is being proposed to be part of elementary education curriculum, the need is more pressing for OFWs’ education about sex and health," Migrante-Middle East coordinator John Monterona said in a blog post. Migrante-Middle East cited a rising number of cases of OFWs getting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases. It said the Department of Health records showed the number of HIV cases this year reached 6,500, from 324 reported in 1984. Monterona voiced alarm that of some 500 HIV cases reported so far this year, 67 reportedly involve OFWs. He added that while such figures are a very small fraction of some 10 million OFWs deployed worldwide, there is still a need to educate OFWs. “[A] comprehensive program of educating OFWs how to avoid sexually transmitted diseases like HIV must be crafted and implemented," he said. No extra charges in pre-departure orientation But Monterona said there should be no extra charges for including sex education in OFWs’ pre-departure orientation seminars (PDOS). “The current fee charge to OFWs by PDOS providers must be the same." Migrante said topics normally discussed in pre-departure orientation seminars include:

• Features of a standard employment contract
• Airport procedures
• What to do upon arrival at the country of employment
• Offenses that could affect overseas employment
• What to do in case of a contract violation by the employer
• Travel tips
• How to remit and various banks offerings in sending remittance
• Benefits one could get as member of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration