Parents, it’s more than imperative to watch over and guide your children.
This, as the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) sounded the alarm on rising cases of pre-adolescent pregnancy in the Calabarzon region.
Despite the fact that cases of teenage pregnancies in the region are on the decline, CPD officials noted that children as young as nine or ten years old are now becoming “child mothers.”
In a press release, Marilyn Ogaya, Regional Director for CPD Calabarzon, noted a rising trend among very young girls “aged 10 to 14 years.”
The number of pre-adolescent pregnancies in Calabarzon, according to data provided by the commission, rose from 370 live births in 2022 to 479 in 2023.
“Girls as young as nine years old are becoming mothers, and girls aged 10 to 14 years old are getting pregnant as well. This is very alarming,” Ogaya said.
Laguna province reported the highest number of cases of adolescent pregnancies, going as high as 5,000 based on CPD estimates.
The Calabarzon region also logged the highest number of teen pregnancies with 17,764 cases this year.
Underlying factors
CPD officials had highlighted several factors behind the rise in early pregnancies in the Philippines.
Despite the fact that the current age of sexual consent in the Philippines has been raised from 12 to 16 years old in March 2022, lack of “informed consent,” coupled with insufficient sex education at home and a strong pushback among conservative elements against teaching reproductive health in schools, have left youngsters more vulnerable to sexual abuse and coercion.
These, combined with increased exposure to online pornography and unregulated social media content, puts young girls at greater risk, CPD officials said.
Ogaya also noted that most cases of the pre-adolescent pregnancies were those where the fathers are older than the girls, citing possible cases of violence against women and children (VAWC).
“There are same-age couples, but there are more cases where the men are older. Based upon the reports from local government units, some of these are cases related to VAWC,” she added.
Effects
The World Health Organization (WHO) said both young mothers and their offspring are at risk of health conditions that may arise from early pregnancies, as young girls are often not physically ready for childbirth.
The risks include obstetric fistula, eclampsia, puerperal endometritis, and systemic infections.
Globally, maternal conditions remain one of the leading causes of disability-adjusted life years and death among girls aged 15 to 19.
The CPD is pushing for programs and policies that will reinforce Executive Order 141 which made addressing the rising number of teenage pregnancies a national priority.
“This is important to create a safe space for our teens and young adults to seek our assistance.” Ogaya emphasized.
(With report and Photo courtesy from the Philippine Information Agency)
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