PREGNANCIES among girls aged 10 to 14 in the Davao Region climbed to 284 cases in 2024, an increase from 240 recorded in 2022, according to latest data from the Commission on Population and Development (CPD)-Davao.
During the Healthy Davao Media Forum on August 24, 2026 at SM City Davao, CPD-Davao Regional Director Jeff Y. Fuentes, MHSS, presented recent findings, citing data from the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) reports of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
"Even a single case of a 10 to 14-year-old getting pregnant is already alarming," Fuentes said. "This is not purely a health issue, but a social protection issue. As a society, we are failing in protecting our children."
Data from the PSA indicated that in 52% of cases with reported paternal ages, 87% involved adult fathers, primarily aged 18 to 21, alongside some cases involving men aged 35 or older.
Fuentes identified several municipalities, including Santa Cruz, Pantukan, and Carmen, across Davao del Sur, Davao de Oro, and Davao del Norte, as areas of concern for adolescent pregnancies, urging local government units to identify high-risk barangays to provide focused social protection measures.
Aside from social risks, early pregnancy carries severe medical dangers. Dr. Victoria Millet Carin-Andan, resident-in-training at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said adolescent mothers face elevated risks of severe complications.
"Eclampsia and pre-eclampsia are more common in the extremes of age — those under 18 and over 35 years old," Carin-Andan said, noting that adolescent patients frequently present with high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, and severe bleeding.
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development defines pre-eclampsia as a pregnancy complication characterized by a sudden increase in blood pressure and potential organ damage. If not addressed, it can escalate to eclampsia, a serious condition leading to severe seizures or coma in mothers.
To help prevent unwanted pregnancies and maternal complications, SPMC offers pre-conceptional and family planning counseling from Monday to Friday.
SPMC has also introduced "Center for Teens" catering to individuals aged 10 to 18. Nurse Sarah Jane Sanchez shared that the hospital recently piloted a "Teen Dads" program to counsel young fathers, handling five to ten adolescent fathers monthly.
Social worker Mariabel F. Pandapatan Lukodo added that the center focuses on encouraging young mothers to return to school while coordinating with municipal social workers through inter-agency referral forms for post-discharge home visits and community monitoring.
Fuentes also noted the establishment of teen centers in various schools and barangays throughout the region, along with Department of Health-certified adolescent-friendly health centers, which provide accessible counseling, family planning, and follow-up care for young mothers.
In previous forum reports, health authorities noted that complications like severe hypertension and hemorrhage remain among the leading causes of maternal deaths in the region, with adolescent mothers particularly vulnerable due to extreme age-related pregnancy risks. GRS
