Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770941743473rod-long-jcckAkxMvUk-unsplash.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Rod Long, Unsplash</span></span></span></div><p>Amid the Valentine&#x27;s Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15.</p><p>Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines.</p><p>Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers.</p><p>However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer.</p><p>Teen pregnancies among girls aged 15 to 19 in the Philippines have declined in recent years, while pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14 have increased.</p><p>For many teens, these numbers reflect lived realities.</p><p>Eman*, an 18-year-old from Santa Maria, a municipality in the Philippines&#x27; southeastern Laguna province, is the father to an 8-month-old daughter. He divides his days between childcare and working in a noodle house.</p><div><strong>Teens juggle work, school</strong></div><p>He said that he once dreamed of earning a diploma, but felt that he disappointed his father after becoming a father himself while still studying.</p><p>&quot;I felt so much pressure in life, about my career, about my dreams,&quot; he told DW.</p><p>&quot;I didn&#x27;t even know what to do because I&#x27;m still so young,&quot; he added, describing the fear and uncertainty he felt at the time.</p><p>He eventually completed senior high school but decided not to pursue a third-level education.</p><p>&quot;I won&#x27;t be going to college anymore … as time goes by, my child is growing up, and I need to be there,&quot; he said, explaining that he chose to work instead so he could provide effectively.</p><p>&quot;This isn&#x27;t the right path. It was truly an accident and nothing about this was planned,&quot; Eman added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/1/21/teen-pregnancy-bill-triggers-senate-panel-probe-into-sex-ed-implementation-1316">Teen pregnancy bill triggers Senate panel probe into &#x27;sex-ed&#x27; implementation</a></div><div><strong>Challenges for teen mothers</strong></div><p>Seventeen-year-old Jenny* from Tanay, a municipality in Rizal province located just east of Manila, gave birth two months ago. She is now finishing senior high school through modular, offline learning.</p><p>Her partner works as an agricultural laborer, taking on any available job.</p><p>&quot;Sometimes my studies get neglected. My grades go down,&quot; she said, recalling how early dating affected her studies.</p><p>When she discovered she was pregnant, she said she felt &quot;nervous and scared because I had to tell my parents. I was afraid.&quot;</p><p>Despite this, she remains determined and driven to follow her dream of becoming a teacher.</p><p>&quot;What I really want is to finish school… and I want to keep going,&quot; she told DW.</p><div><strong>Teen birth rates diverge</strong></div><p>According to data cited by the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), the percentage of Filipino girls aged 15 to 19 who had begun childbearing declined from 8.6% in 2017 to 5.4% in 2022.</p><p>However, live births among girls aged 10 to 14 rose from 2,411 in 2019 to 3,343 in 2023, based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) civil registration data referenced by the CPD.</p><p>Lisa Grace Bersales, a Filipino statistician and CPD undersecretary, said there is no contradiction between the declining rate among older adolescents and the rising numbers among the youngest.</p><p>&quot;The decrease is for ages 15 to 19, both in percentage and in actual numbers,&quot; Bersales told DW. &quot;The increase we are seeing is for below 15. That is where we should be alarmed.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/20/popcom-alarmed-over-increase-in-adolescent-pregnancies-in-ph-1607">Popcom alarmed over increase in adolescent pregnancies in PH</a></div><p>She described the growth among the youngest age group as exponential and emphasized that pregnancies in the Philippines among 10 to 14-year-olds required urgent attention.</p><p>Teenage pregnancies account for about 2% of all registered births in the country, Bersales noted, stressing that even a small percentage can signal deep vulnerabilities.</p><p>&quot;We never thought we would have to talk to our girls and boys below 15 about sexual behavior leading to pregnancy,&quot; she said.</p><div><strong>Why younger teens face higher risk</strong></div><p>Bersales pointed to digital exposure as a contributing factor to the uneven figures across age groups.</p><p>&quot;I believe one of the main reasons is that our children now are more digital. They are exposed to social media,&quot; she said.</p><p>However, she cautioned against oversimplifying the issue.</p><p>&quot;This requires a whole-of-society approach, the family, schools, local government units, civil society, faith-based groups. We must be systematic in talking to our children about protecting themselves.&quot; </p><p>One government response has been the establishment of teen centers by local government units (LGUs) — spaces where adolescents can ask questions about possible health interventions.</p><p>As of May 2025, Bersales said, 84% of LGUs had reported establishing such centers, which signals progress.</p><p>However, the rise in pregnancies among girls under 15 raises questions about whether these centers are functioning as intended.</p><p>&quot;We are continuing to refine the indicator,&quot; Bersales acknowledged. &quot;Establishment is one thing. Functionality is another.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/6/5/-rising-hiv-cases-teen-pregnancies-show-systemic-gaps-in-reproductive-health-education-1704">&#x27;Rising HIV cases, teen pregnancies show systemic gaps in reproductive health education&#x27;</a></div><div><strong>Barriers to health services</strong></div><p>The Philippines&#x27; region of Northern Mindanao has one of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in the country</p><p>The 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey reported that approximately 10.9% of girls aged 15–19 in the region have begun childbearing. It&#x27;s the highest rate among all regions in the country.</p><p>In rural and geographically isolated areas, access to information and services is limited, and a culture of silence about sexuality discourages open conversations within families.</p><p>Bersales also highlighted the vulnerability of daughters of Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) parents.</p><p>&quot;Studying the situation of daughters left behind by OFW mothers is very important work that we need to do,&quot; she said, citing risks including sexual exploitation.</p><p>In addition, legal constraints further complicate pregnancy prevention efforts in the Philippines.</p><p>Under the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, minors generally require written consent from a parent or guardian to access modern family planning services — except in specific limited circumstances, such as when the minor is already a parent or has had a miscarriage.</p><div><strong>Schools missing key lessons</strong></div><p>Both Eman and Jenny said discussions at school about reproductive health were limited.</p><p>&quot;When it was finally taught, it was already too late for us,&quot; Eman said, emphasizing that he learned much from it during senior high school.</p><p>&quot;The gap lies in not providing a deeper understanding of sex, teenage pregnancy, and early motherhood,&quot; Jenny added.</p><p>She emphasized she had discussions about it during senior high school but none during junior high school, where curiosity sometimes starts.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/19/comprehensive-sexuality-education-crucial-for-young-people-up-institute-1501">Comprehensive Sexuality Education &#x27;crucial&#x27; for young people: UP institute</a></div><p>While the Philippines&#x27; Department of Education has initiatives on comprehensive sexuality education, Bersales acknowledged that some teachers feel uncomfortable delivering the material due to personal beliefs.</p><p>&quot;We need to make our teachers confident,&quot; she said, highlighting that proper training, removing stereotypes, taboos and stigmas are important ways to be able to properly deliver the message and the advocacy.</p><div><em>*Eman and Jenny&#x27;s names have been changed to protect their identities</em></div><div><em>Edited by: Keith Walker </em></div><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-KMClf7t00g" title="Marcos slams &#x27;woke absurdities&#x27; in teen pregnancy prevention bill | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>As Valentine's Day approaches in the Philippines, declining pregnancies among older teens contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15.</p>

As Valentine's Day approaches in the Philippines, declining pregnancies among older teens contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15.

Rising teenage pregnancy among young teens in Philippines

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Rising teenage pregnancy among young teens in Philippines

Stanley Gajete,

Deutsche Welle

Published Feb 13, 2026 08:21 AM PHT

Read More:

sex education

teenn pregnancy

birth control

reproductive health

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