A mother (R) receives a free consultation with a family planning nurse (L) during a social services caravan organized by local district officials in Quezon City on July 11, 2023. Rolex Dela Pena, EPA-EFE/File 

Teen pregnancies have breached pre-pandemic levels, the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) said Wednesday, as it called on Philippine lawmakers to pass a bill to protect young mothers. 

Cases of teen pregnancy rose to 150,000 in 2022 from 130,000 in 2021, based on data from the Philippine Statistic Authority, said Mylin Mirasol Quiray, acting chief of Popcom's Knowledge Management and Communication Division.

“It’s higher than the pre-pandemic levels. So, makikita natin na akala natin sa pandemic bumaba iyong teen pregnancy cases, of course alam nating hindi nakakalabas iyong mga bata ‘no, and then nagulat tayo na after the pandemic tumaas siya in 2022,” she said.

(We thought that during the pandemic, the teen pregnancy cases would decrease, of course, knowing that the children couldn't go out, and then we were surprised that it increased after the pandemic in 2022.)

Popcom: PH's teen pregnancies dropped in 2020, lowest since 2003

The Philippines is currently among the countries with the highest prevalence of teen pregnancies, the official said. 

A proposed measure aims to establish an Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Inter-Agency Council (APPIAC) that would formulate and implement a national action plan on the prevention of teenage pregnancies. It has been approved at the House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate, Quiray said.  

“Actually, ang gusto lang talaga nating palakasin ‘no – gawing urgent, national priority ‘no ang teenage pregnancy sa bansa. Kasi nga increasing ang 10 to 14, tapos increasing din iyong 15 to 19 according to the Civil Registry and Vital Statistics, so talagang kailangan mapasa itong bill na ito,” she said.

(Actually, all we really want to do is strengthen - make teenage pregnancy an urgent, national priority in the country. Teen pregnancies are increasing among 10 to 14-year-olds, 15 to 19-year-olds, according to the Civil Registry and Vital Statistics, so this bill really needs to be passed.) 

Population commission 'worried' about teen pregnancies