Teenage pregnancy
ADMITTEDLY, adolescent pregnancy remains a major problem in the Philippines, a natural resources-rich Southeast Asian nation of more than 110 million people.
In fact, the government has declared teenage pregnancy as a national emergency, prompting various sectors of society to come up with measures aimed at addressing the problem.
Due to early pregnancy, young girls in the country, particularly in the rural areas, fail to finish basic education, lack adequate skills for remunerative work, and are economically vulnerable.
And records show that in 2020, there were 56,428 cases of live births reported among girls aged 10-17 and 51 live births were documented among girls between ages 10 to 12.
That’s why we doff our hat to the House of Representatives for approving on third and final reading a proposed law that reflects concern over the welfare of young mothers and their kids.
Authored by a number of lawmakers, House Bill (HB) No. 8910 aims to prevent teenage pregnancies and institutionalize social protection for adolescent parents and their children.
The proposed legislation calls for the establishment of the “Adolescent Pregnancy Inter-Agency Council (APPIAC).
The authors of HB No. 8910 said the inter-agency council is mandated to formulate and implement a national action plan for the prevention of teenage pregnancies in the Philippines.
Under the bill, a joint congressional oversight committee will be set up to oversee the implementation of the proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act.
Without doubt, fast-tracking the approval of the proposed measure in the Lower Chamber of Congress is a move in the right direction, according to observers.
Talaga!
