Teen pregnancies: Interagency body to tackle problem head-on

Although the numbers are still low, Philippine officials still want to curb the number of teen pregnancies in the country. 

The problem of teen pregnancies in the country will now be tackled with more teeth with the passing of House Bill (HB) 8910 which establishes the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Inter-Agency Council (APPIAC).

The agency is composed of various agencies acting as the national government’s coordinating body tasked to address the common and persistent population challenge of teenage pregnancies or early childbearing among Filipino girls.

The APPIAC, to be led by the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), will spearhead the creation and conduct of programs and policies that will seek to find definitive solutions to the multi-dimensional nature of teen childbearing, deemed by the government as a “national social emergency.”

READ: Teen pregnancies now ‘nat’l social emergency’

Undersecretary for Population and Development Lisa Grace Bersales, Ph.D., who is CPD’s executive director, will serve as the council’s chair; while Undersecretary Angelo M. Tapales—the Council for the Welfare of Children’s executive director—will act as co-chair.

CPD will collaborate closely with the Department of Health (DOH) for the young parents’ overall well-being, the Department of Social Welfare and Development for their social protection, the Department of Education for Comprehensive Sexual Education’s nationwide implementation as part of their academic curriculum, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to ensure local government units’ involvement in the strategic programs, among others.

Ex-officio members of the council will comprise senior officials of the agencies mentioned, including the Philippine Commission on Women, National Youth Commission, Commission on Higher Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; two members from civil society organizations or women’s rights groups; an adolescent and a youth representative from nationally represented organizations; plus chairpersons of the leagues of provinces, cities, and municipalities.

Compromised opportunities

In a recent radio interview, CPD Deputy Executive Director Lolito R. Tacardon explained that the multi-agency approach is warranted in solving teen pregnancies among young Filipino women conceiving very early in life.

“The implication of adolescent pregnancies does not only cover the health of young Filipino girls; it also compromises young parents’ capacity to complete their education and achieve their aspirations, thereby diminishing their chances of being a productive member of their family or household, and the larger society as well. This is especially pronounced and more evident among the poor.”

The CPD official also expressed the need to focus on increasing pregnancies among 10- to 14-year-old girls based on the Civil Registry and Vital Statistics (CRVS) data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. He mentioned that hospital births among their peers increased in 2021 to about 2,300, from a little over 2,000 at the onset of the pandemic.

Despite the seemingly low numbers compared to the country’s overall teen population, Tacardon insisted that “one teenage pregnancy is one too many” in view of its life-long and irreversible consequences.

READ: Teenage pregnancies: P35B annual PH loss, other costs

CPD’s deputy head largely hinted at misinformation from the Internet and social media that tends to lead vulnerable teens into risky behaviors.

“Another is the possibility of sexual abuse by older men, as revealed in the CRVS, which indicated that the livebirths among 10 to 14-year-old mothers were sired by partners who are older than them” Tacardon pointed out.

National policy vs. teen pregnancies

The main thrust of HB 8910, which the House of Representatives passed in September, seeks to create a national policy for the prevention of teen pregnancies and provide social protection for teenage parents.

The council is expected to devise policies and programs centered not only on the prevention of the issue but also on the provision of social protection measures including counseling, maternal health care, and post-delivery care of Filipino girls who have already begun childbearing.

The bill likewise directs the creation of adolescent-friendly health facilities following norms of the DOH, and for schools to employ trained faculty and staff members on adolescent health and development or AHD.

These policies are hoped to address the country’s problem of teen pregnancies and usher in more opportunities for the improvement of young Filipino women.  | rcg with PR

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