REGION 3 (Central Luzon) has recorded the most pregnancies — more than 400 — involving adolescents below 15, based on the 2022 Civil Registry and Vital Statistics data.
“These figures are very alarming, especially with the rising incidence of pregnancies among 10 to 14 years old because these are very young girls who are supposed to be in school,” said the regional director of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) Lourdes Nacionales.
Births among girls 10 to 14 years old in the region totaled 409, making up 33.66 percent of all cases in the country.
Nacionales said Region 3 also remained second in pregnancy among those ages 10 to 19 with 17,107 cases, making up 11.4 percent of the nationwide tally.
In Region 3, Bulacan has the highest number of teenage pregnancies, with 4,613, followed by Pampanga (4,199), Nueva Ecija (3,495), Tarlac (1,825), Bataan (1,336), Zambales (1,238) and Aurora (401).
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Nacionales warned of the health risks associated with early pregnancy, as bodies of teenage mothers are not yet ready to carry a child in the womb.
“When the mother is not healthy, the child she carries will be unhealthy as well. There is a tendency for both the mother and child to be malnourished because the reproductive system of our young women is not ready to get pregnant. This can also lead to maternal and child mortality,” she said.
Teenage pregnancy also has an impact on the socioeconomic condition of the girl since most of these cases come from poor households.
“If the teen comes from a poor family, it means she will suffer even more because pregnancy and raising a child require proper care and nutrition. If she is poor, she will not be able to afford proper nutrition,” Nacionales added.
CPD works with members of the Regional Development Council Special Regional Committee on Population and Development to harmonize initiatives to prevent teenage pregnancy.
Among the committee’s initiatives is a partnership with the Department of Education to integrate comprehensive sexuality education, the adoption of The Challenge Initiative for Adolescent Youth Friendly Cities, and the Special Protection Program for Adolescent Mothers and their Children.
A partnership with the Department of Health has also been initiated to establish Adolescent-Friendly Health Facilities and an information and service delivery network for teens.
CPD is also collaborating with different national government agencies and local government units to give priority to evidence-based interventions that will empower young people with accurate information on their sexual and reproductive health.
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