The Commission on Population and Development has called on the Senate to pass the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, citing growing concerns over the increasing cases of teenage pregnancy in the country on Wednesday, January 16, 2025.
In the news release, CPD Undersecretary Lisa Grace Bersales said that the adolescent pregnancy trend is alarming, and that it needs immediate action.
“Our emphasis is on protection from abuse and equipping adolescents with life skills to make informed decisions,” she said.
Bersales noted the data from Philippine Statistics Authority, which showed that live birth among minors aged 10-14 had a 6.6 percent increase, with the numbers rising from 2,411 in 2019 to 3,343 in 2023.
Even more concerning, she noted, that number included 38 girls under 15 who experienced multiple pregnancies while 17 girls under 20 had given birth five or more times in 2023.
The issue seems to be more prevalent in certain areas with high populations like Metro Manila, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon), and the Central Luzon region.
With this, Bersales urged the Senate to come up with immediate legislative action, calling out for the passing of Senate Bill No. 1979 or Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill.
“This is a critical issue affecting the health and future workforce of our country. Addressing it is essential for realizing the benefits of the demographic dividend and sustaining economic growth,” she said.
A national emergency
On the same day, Senator Risa Hontiveros held a press conference in the Senate to address the concerns about the influx of teenage pregnancies.
“2019 pa lamang ay tinukoy na ng NEDA o National Economic and Development Authority na isang national and social emergency ang maagang pagbubuntis,” said Sen. Hontiveros, who authored the said bill.
She said that SBN 1979 aims to “help, protect, and support” the young Filipinos.
“This bill isn’t just necessary. It’s urgent. We cannot ignore this issue anymore,” Sen Hontiveros added.
“Bilang may akda ng bill, nakakagulat at nakakagalit ang mga kasinungalingan na kumalat sa social media laban sa panukalang batas na ito. We all want what’s best for our children, but outright lies, misinformation, disinformation, and promoting fear can lead to more harmful decisions about our teen’s lives. Nililito lang nila tayo,” she said.
This statement followed the submission of an online petition by the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution’s (NCFC) Project Dalisay, calling for the rejection of SBN 1979. It argued that the legislation poses a serious threat to the country’s moral, societal, and spiritual foundations.
Sen. Hontiveros took her time during the conference to clarify and straighten these “incorrect information” one by one, including the allegations that the bill will teach masturbation for children in 0-4 years old, and bodily pleasure for those aged 6-9.
“Absolutely none of those concepts exist in our bill. Those lines in their supposed rebuttal are complete and total fabrication,” assured the Senator.
During the conference, Sen. Hontiveros was joined by the Council for the Welfare of the Children Undersecretary Angelo Tapales and Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III, the former executive director of CPD (formerly known as POPCOM) who showed their support for the bill.
