Pregnancies Among Minors Aged 10-14 Rising In The Philippines: Report

The Philippines has seen a 7% increase in births among girls aged 15 years and below in 2019 from the previous year, a new report says.

The Commission on Population and Development said in a statement Sunday that the rate of early pregnancies in the country has been rising every year since 2011, CNN Philippines reported. The commission noted that one out of every 10 pregnancies in the Philippines was among teenagers — indicating a growing social issue that could possibly entail worse consequences if not addressed.

"In 2019, 2,411 girls considered as very young adolescents (VYA) aged 10 to 14 gave birth, or almost seven every day. This was a three-fold increase from 2000 when only 755 from the said age group gave birth," PopCom said.

Citing the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, PopCom said the total number of minors in the Philippines who gave birth rose to 62,510 in 2019 from 62,341 in 2018.

Due to previous efforts of government agencies, the number of births from teenage mothers 15 to 19 years old saw a decline in 2018 from the previous year, PopCom earlier said. However, the number of births from 10- to 14-year-olds saw a 63% rise, from 1,381 in 2011 to 2,250 in 2018.

In response to the latest statement, Philippine Congress ordered PopCom to work closely with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide social protection for VYA mothers and their children.

Population and Development Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez III urged the government to act upon the rising trend of early teenage pregnancies. Perez said the issue should be regarded as “a national and social emergency," and concerted efforts between government agencies is needed to be able to deal with the matter successfully.

“This requires more than a whole-of-government approach. Thus, we are calling on the private sector, LGUs, development partners, and relevant government agencies to collaborate closely with us in arresting this social menace grappling our youth,” Perez stated.

A social protection network is currently in the works, says PopCom — suggesting that the program may be rolled out within 2021. In the meantime, the commission continues to reach out to local government units (LGUs) in the hopes of reducing adolescent births, local news outlet ABS-CBN reported.

A Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Bill is actively being pushed by some, with Perez being one of its most vocal supporters. If passed, the law would allow early adolescent mothers to reintegrate themselves back into the community — providing support, opportunities and even hope for the young women in order to not lose sight of their future.

“For one, we would like to give teenage mothers a fighting chance in life and be productive citizens after giving birth," Perez said. "We are mobilizing local government units to advocate that those who are about to give birth to be given access to family planning methods."