By Marita Moaje
MANILA – The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) called for urgent action to address the rising number of pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14.
In a Bagong Pilipinas interview on Monday, CPD spokesperson Myline Mirasol Quiray expressed dismay over the disturbing trend and said it needs “our full attention.”
“When we were 10 to 14 years old, we were playing. Yet today, some of our youth are already pregnant or have even given birth. The youngest recorded case was just 8 years old—she gave birth at 9. It’s heartbreaking,” Quiray said.
Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Quiray said pregnancies in the 10 to 14 bracket surged to over 3,300 cases in 2023, a significant jump from over 2,000 cases in 2019.
In contrast, pregnancies among 15- to 19-year-olds showed a declining trend, dropping from 178,000 cases in 2019 to 138,000 in 2023.
Quiray identified sexual abuse and coercion as primary factors behind the rise in early pregnancies, highlighting that the age of sexual consent in the Philippines is 16.
She noted that many of the cases likely involve exploitation, lack of informed consent, and insufficient sex education at home, with parents avoiding discussions on body awareness and reproduction. These, combined with increased exposure to pornography and unregulated social media content, puts young girls at greater risk.
The World Health Organization warned that early adolescent pregnancies carry severe health risks, as young girls’ are often not physically ready for childbirth.
The risks include obstetric fistula, eclampsia, puerperal endometritis, and systemic infections.
Globally, maternal conditions remain one of the leading causes of disability-adjusted life years and death among girls aged 15 to 19.
To address the issue, the CPD is pushing for stronger comprehensive reproductive health education in schools, ensuring that topics on body awareness, consent and protection are introduced at an appropriate age.
CPD Executive Director Lisa Grace Bersales underscored the importance of implementing the Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action 2023, which was approved by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. through Memorandum Circular 40 on Nov. 14, 2023.
The action plan outlines eight key strategies, including initiatives focused on advancing the health and development of young Filipinos, with a particular emphasis on preventing early parenthood.
“It is our stand in CPD that the lasting solution to the prevalent concern of early teen pregnancies should begin at the household level,” Bersales said.
“While we exhaust efforts through a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach, we remind the parents and guardians of our youth that their roles in their respective families cannot be simply downplayed, as they are responsible for molding their children as productive members of the larger Philippine society,“ she added. (PNA)
