‘National priority’: Gov’t steps up measures to curb rise in teenage pregnancies

by Genalyn Kabiling, Manila Bulletin, 29 Jun 2021

The government is stepping up efforts to prevent teenage pregnancy, including ensuring access to sexual education and reproduction health services.

President Duterte has issued Executive Order No. 141 adopting as a “national priority” the implementation of measures to address the root causes of the rising incidents of teenage pregnancies.

The same executive order has mobilized government agencies to address the latest concern.

“The number of adolescent pregnancies are expected to rise, as girls already living in dysfunctional homes spend more time with their households as a result of the pandemic and are therefore more exposed to abuse,” the order read.

“To this end, the State shall mobilize existing coordinative and legal mechanisms related to the prevention of adolescent pregnancies, and to strengthen the adolescents’ capacity to make autonomous and informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health by ensuring access to comprehensive sexuality education and reproductive health and rights services,” he said.

The government has recorded 183,967 live births among adolescents aged 10-19 years in 2018 and 180,916 in 2019 for the same age group.

It also cited the 2016 study by the United Nations Population Fund Philippines that showed adolescents have lost an aggregate lifetime earnings of about P33 billion due to early childbearing.

Under the order, all government agencies have been directed to implement interventions to prevent teenage pregnancies. Among the measures are comprehensive sexuality education, education and employment opportunities for young people, and health promotion through media and communications.

Government agencies must also maximize use of digital and online platforms to reach young people and raise awareness on the protection and protection fo reproductive health and rights.

The same order has encouraged Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) to develop interventions to arrest and prevent causes of teenage pregnancies, and support adolescent mothers.

The National Youth Commission must also establish a forum for dialogue between the government and youth sector.

The Population Commission is also tasked to continue to educate leaders, parents, and other community members about strategies to reduce, if not eliminate, teenage pregnancy. The commission must also consolidate a comprehensive action plan towards the prevention of teenage pregnancies.

The order, signed by the President on June 25, will take effect immediately after publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper.