CITY OF SAN FERNANDO Almost two years after the declaration of teenage pregnancy as a national priority, results show that childbearing among young women is declining.
Data from the 2022 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) conducted by the Philippines Statistics Authority showed that teenage pregnancies among 15-19 years old in the country fell from 8.6% in 2017 to 5.4% in 2022.
This is consistent with the latest Civil Registry and Vital Statistics (CRVS 2021) results, which revealed that pregnancies among adolescent women declined by 13.22% from 157,060 in 2020 to 136,302 in 2021.
Findings from the same survey (CRVS 2021) showed 15,504 live births among adolescent mothers in Central Luzon, reflecting a 17.19% decrease from the previous data (CRVS 2020).
However, Region III remains 2nd in rank among all regions with the highest cases of teenage pregnancy in the country.
Region IV-A is the first in rank and NCR placing third.
POPCOM III Regional Director Lourdes P. Nacionales said “the latest data mirrors a decline of teenage pregnancy cases both in the country and the region; however, these numbers are still alarming, especially with the rising incidence of pregnancies among younger girls aged 14 and below.”
She added that while majority of teenage pregnancy in the region is still highest among adolescents 15 to 19, there were also 306 live births or 1.97 percent coming from very young adolescents aged 10-14, a 13.33% increase from the previous data (CRVS 2020).
Among the seven provinces in Central Luzon, Bulacan remained first in rank among the provinces with high cases of teenage pregnancy in the region, recording 4,290, followed by the Province of Pampanga with 4,059, including the highly urbanized city of Angeles (522).
The province of Nueva Ecija recorded 2,194 cases, while the Province of Tarlac had 1,555 cases.
Bataan province recorded 1,203 teenage pregnancy cases, followed by Zambales with 1,102, including the highly urbanized city of Olongapo (201).
The province of Aurora reported 381 cases, based on statistics.
POPCOM III said it continues initiatives in Adolescent Health and Development with the local government units.
Evidence suggests that the interplay of information and communication technology, poverty, and lack of access to reproductive health information and services are among the factors attributed to the prevalence of teenage pregnancy in the region.
Nacionales said women who received minimal education are the ones who are likely to get pregnant at an early age.
She added that young girls getting pregnant is higher in rural areas, noting the PSA data released on Jan 20, which shows that one in ten young women in the poorest quintile has been pregnant.
POPCOM III said teenage pregnancy is both a health and development concern as it affects the health and total development of the individual with implications on the family, the community, and socioeconomic development.
“We are advocating for zero teenage pregnancy and that one teenage pregnancy is too many considering the effects and impacts it brings to the life of these young mothers,” Nacionales said.
“Babies born to very young mothers are at a higher risk of diseases and death while teenage mothers who have given birth are more likely to experience adverse pregnancy outcomes and are restrained from pursuing educational and employment opportunities," she added.
The agency forged a partnership with the Department of Education for the integration of Comprehensive Sexuality Education, the adoption of The Challenge Initiative for Adolescent Youth Friendly Cities, the Special Protection Program for Adolescent Mothers and their Children (SPPAMC).
Aside from this, the Department of Health established Adolescent Friendly Health Facilities (AFHF).
The commission also worked for the establishment of Information and Service Delivery Network (ISDN) Teen Centers.