No more children having children.

MANILA – There has been an increase of adolescent pregnancy among children aged under 15 in the last three years.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority revealed that while pregnancies among 15 to 19-years-old declined from 178,500 cases in 2019 to almost 138,900 in 2023, pregnancies in the 10 to 14 age bracket increased to over 3,300 cases from just over 2,400 cases in 2019.

The youngest recorded case involved an 8-year-old who gave birth at the age of 9.

In 2019, teenage pregnancy has been classified as a “national social emergency” by the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) due to a decrease in the median age at which adolescents were experiencing childbearing.

The rise in teenage pregnancies is linked to limited access to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), lack of sexual and reproductive health care, poverty, and lastly, cultural and religious beliefs.

Kabataan Partylist representative Renee Co said that this is no longer a problem confined to individual families. It is a societal problem stemming from the pervasive abuse against women and there should be urgent action from the government. 

Co and ACT Teachers Partylist representative Antonio Tinio met with children and women’s civil society groups as they refiled on August 27 the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (APP) Bill in the 20th Congress.

Read: Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act approved in third and final reading

The provisions in this bill include providing comprehensive information through education and access to reproductive healthcare services .

In a statement, Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns said that this action “marks another important step in recognizing the ongoing need for CSE for all youth.”

CSE was first introduced in the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law which was passed on December 21, 2012. This aims to integrate teaching of human sexuality and reproductive health.

However, for Salinlahi, it was “never properly implemented under the law.”

Save the Children Philippines’ Technical Adviser for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Shebana Alqaseer said in 2024 that “together we must create a culture where barriers are addressed, and where all adolescents and their families have access to accurate information and services, empowering them to make informed decisions and enhance their overall well-being.” (RTS, DAA)