Kalinisang Puri (True Love Still… Waits) Personal Narratives of Chastity Among Filipino Teens

Some would say that the expression ‘true love waits’ is already passé. It is no longer practice by Filipino teens as shown by the many cases of unwanted pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. These unfortunate consequences simply validate that there is indeed a great decline in the sexual morality of our youth. On the contrary, this paper presents the other side of the coin. It highlights the personal stories of selected Filipino teens who still embody the virtue of chastity. It proves that this expression about love still makes a lot of sense in spite of their sexually permissive culture. This study will draw and weave from their narratives the various root causes of their non-engagement to premarital sex which highlight the virtue of “kalinisang puri” or “may dangal”. Findings reveal that belonging to an intact family, high level of intimacy with respect to one’s partner, positive influence of peers/friends, and regular observance of/attendance to religious rituals were the contributory factors which enable them to make a responsible decision about their sexuality. Additional findings reveal that these root causes are actually the result of the sociocultural influences that shape their everyday life. The outcomes and discussion of the study can help researchers to formulate the content of a sexual ethic that is relevant and effective in their moral formation.

Keywords: teens, chastity, sociocultural, interpretative phenomenological analysis