Philippine President Urges People Not To Use Condoms Because They Don't Feel Good

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is notorious for his controversial statements and stark remarks. This week he discouraged the use of condoms during a speech on family planning because they “aren’t pleasurable”.

Normally, talks on family planning will include advocating for the informed usage of contraceptives, such as pills and condoms. But during President Duterte’s welcome speech to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) returning from Kuwait on February 13, he upheld the former and mocked the latter.

He began by asserting overpopulation as the cause of poverty and scarcity of resources and jobs. He then encouraged the crowd to take advantage of the government’s family planning programs, which include free contraceptive pills. “Hindi ako nagpapatawa, sumunod na lang kayo sa programa ng gobyerno. May pills, libre. Huwag ‘yang condom kasi hindi masarap ‘yang condom [I’m not trying to be funny, just follow the government’s program. There are free pills. Don’t use condoms because they don’t feel good],” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte delivering a speech

To emphasise his point, he then took out a piece of candy, and motioned putting it into his mouth, still wrapped. He said, “Ito, kainin mo ito, ‘wag mong balatan… Ayan ang condom [Here, eat this without unwrapping it… That’s what a condom’s like].”

Discouraging the use of condoms in the Philippines is critical, considering the country has been identified as having the fastest growing HIV infection rate in the Asia-Pacific in recent years. From 2010-2016 alone, the Philippines has seen a staggering 140% increase in the total number of new HIV infections. And this is expected to continually rise if no serious actions are taken to address the issue.

The Philippines Department of Health estimates over 140,000 people could be HIV-infected by the year 2022 if the trend continues. Access to safe contraception such as condoms is vital in reversing this dangerous trend, but this must go hand in hand with the promotion of their use and proper sexual education.

(Watch President Duterte’s full speech below. The segment on family planning begins around the 31st minute.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1950&v=AbAVVGfaBzE

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.