DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio expressed alarm on the rise of teenage pregnancy, which is now being considered as a national social emergency by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).
In an earlier report, Davao City continues to have the highest teenage pregnancy rate among all cities in the country, according to the City Health Office (CHO).
“Actually akoang advocacy and campaign sa teenage pregnancy dugay na gyud na since my 2010 term pa as Mayor because I believe na pag mabuntis og sayo ang mga bata, ma-minyo sila og sayo, it will affect their future (Since 2010, it has been my advocacy to fight teenage pregnancy. If a teenager gets pregnant and then marries at an early age, it will affect their future),” Duterte-Carpio.
She added that most likely, once a minor got pregnant, it will compromise their studies.
“Primarily kadaghanan sa ilaha dili mahuman og skwela and I think that really education is the key para maging successful ang isa ka tao (Most of them are unable to finish their studies and I think that education is really the key for a person to be successful),” she added.
In the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Davao Region recorded the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the country followed by Western Visayas and Soccsksargen. It showed that that 17.9 percent of the region’s teens aged 15 to 19 years old have begun childbearing, which is twice the national average of 8.6 percent.
The Population Commission-Davao bared there are 118 teen centers in the region catering to these teenage pregnancy cases which will help cater concerns of teenage pregnant women and other troubled teens through trained peer educators and counselors.