Alarming
THE Commission on Population Development (CPD)) has raised the alarm signal that teen pregnancies are on the rise in the Philippines
We share the view of various quarters that the legislature and other concerned government offices and agencies ought to act now – and fast.
CPD urged Congress to pass the proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act, which is aimed at helping provide an action plan to reduce the social and economic costs of the problem.
Records show that in 2022, there were a total of 150,138 live births by mothers aged 19 and below, according to the agency.
CPD said there was an increase of 10-15 percent from the previous year’s 136,362 live births by mothers aged 19 and below.
Health authorities consider child-rearing among teen mothers “high risk” because of possible complications during pregnancy.
CPD Executive Director Lisa Grace Bersales said the proposed law “will be essential in addressing the lingering concern of early child-bearing.”
Last year, the House of Representatives passed on third and final reading House Bill (HB) No. 8910.
Its counterpart measure, Senate Bill 1979, is still pending consideration in the Upper Chamber of Congress.
Certainly, enacting the measure into law is seen to address the problem, which worsened in the country during the two-year COVID-19 pandemic.
