The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) and the Department of Health (DOH) expressed alarm over the increasing cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and adolescent pregnancies in the country.
In a report sent to SunStar Pampanga, the CPD said that the January 2025 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report by the Central Luzon Center for Health and Development (CLCHD) stated that 14,023 individuals in the Region 3 have been diagnosed with HIV.
The agency added that 9,672 (69%) of the patients are currently receiving life-saving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).
Some 5,351 of them have undergone viral load testing, and 97% (5,208) have achieved viral suppression — an outcome that prevents further transmission.
Despite this progress, the report shows a continuing rise in infections, especially among young people.
The 25–34 age group remains the most affected, with 7,107 recorded cases.
This figure was followed by 4,104 cases among youth aged 15–24, and 2,479 among those aged 35–49.
The primary mode of transmission continues to be sexual contact, with Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) accounting for 59.1% of total cases in the region.
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), a preventive treatment for people at risk of HIV, has seen low uptake in Central Luzon.
As of January 2025, only 319 out of 9,900 target individuals (3.2%) have enrolled in PrEP programs.
The provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac reported the highest enrollments so far.
Meanwhile, teenage pregnancy remains a parallel concern.
According to national data cited by CPD, there were 3,343 births among 10–14-year-olds in 2023, up from 2,411 in 2019.
The 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS5) shows that although 70.8% of youth aged 15–24 in Central Luzon are aware of HIV/AIDS, only 19.6% have comprehensive and correct knowledge about the virus and its prevention.
CPD Executive Director Undersecretary Lisa Grace S. Bersales stressed the urgency of investing in youth sexual and reproductive health.
“The wellbeing of our young people—on which our future depends—is at stake if these sexual and reproductive health issues are not addressed," Bersales said. "We call on educators, institutions, local governments, parents, and families to join us in this critical effort."
The CPD said it is implementing several interventions to address the situation, including partnerships with LGUs to promote adolescent-focused programs like Parent-Teen Talk, I Choose #MalayaAkongMaging, and ProtectTEEN, a social protection initiative for adolescent mothers and their children.
CPD added that it is also pushing for the institutionalization of teen centers and the passage of a national policy on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, while advocating for full implementation of RA 11166, or the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act.
The DOH and CPD emphasized that a comprehensive, culturally-sensitive, and reproductive health education must be part of school and community programs to prevent escalation of these health challenges.