Comprehensive Sexuality Education is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality that is scientific, age- and developmentally-appropriate, culturally gender sensitive, and with rights-based approach. On July 13, 2018, the Department of Education released DO no.31 s2018 which states the Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). This is to curb the increasing prevalence of early sexual initiation and premarital sex, increasing incidence of sexual abuse and violence, unwanted pregnancies and increased infections rate of Sexually Transmitted Infections among the Filipino adolescents. However, the effectiveness of CSE depends on, among other factors, knowledge, attitude towards, comfort and willingness of teachers who implement it. Hence, this was a descriptive, cross sectional study designed to determine the CSE teaching preparedness in terms of knowledge, attitude, comfort and willingness of secondary school teachers in selected public schools in Zamboanga City. Utilizing multistage sampling, this study had four hundred seventy-six respondents from selected public high schools in Zamboanga City. A self-administered questionnaire divided into four parts (knowledge, attitude, comfort and willingness) was pilot-tested among 30 high school teachers from another public high school. Internal validity of the questionnaire was determined and was then distributed to the actual respondents. Gathered data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel. It was revealed that although 69.11% were knowledgeable on CSE, knowledge on specific topics such as HIV/AIDS transmission, anatomy and gender identity was inadequate. Furthermore, 98.32% had a positive attitude towards CSE, 96.21% said that they were willing to teach CSE; however only 38.8% were comfortable in teaching CSE specifically due to perceived inadequacy of knowledge and skills, inadequate trainings and a significant portion were uncomfortable to discuss certain topics in their local dialect. The researcher concluded that interventions such as trainings and seminars were needed to further improve the knowledge of the teachers on CSE and to increase the teachers’ comfort should be conducted to enhance the teachers’ effectiveness as an educator and to the overall success of the CSE.

Keyword: Comprehensive sexuality education Teaching preparedness Teachers in public schools