Alarming early childbearing needs whole-of-government approach

By WILNARD BACELONIA

MANILA – Girls aged 10 to 14 getting pregnant is an urgent concern that needs a whole-of-government approach, according to Senator Sonny Angara on Tuesday.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Angara noted that births to these young mothers have increased every year since 2016 even as the overall birth rate among adolescents has gone down.

The rate of pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14 has gone up from 11 percent or 1,903 births in 2016 to 2,113 registered births in 2020, based on PSA data.

“Teenage pregnancies have been a concern in the country for some time already. The decline in pregnancies among 15- to 19-year-old girls is welcome news but the fact that more girls who are a lot younger are becoming mothers already is very alarming and cannot be left unchecked,” Angara said in a statement.

Angara has already filed Senate Resolution No. 462 seeking an inquiry into the alarming increase of pregnancies among 10 to 14 years old in order to come up with a whole-of-government approach in developing a policy framework to prevent early childbearing and its negative consequences.

Angara, who chairs the Committee on Youth, acknowledged the effort of the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte in reducing adolescent pregnancies, highlighted by its declaration as a national priority the implementation