Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines president and Quirino governor Dax Cua urged his fellow local leaders to ramp up their education and awareness campaigns and other forms of support to address teenage pregnancy.
This, as the Commission on Population and Development revealed that the Philippines has recorded nearly 139,000 adolescent mothers, and that there has been a worrying rise in pregnancies among girls below 15.
“We at the local level are well-placed to intervene to protect the youth from the crippling effects of teenage pregnancy. This is a very serious problem that I hope we commit to address,” Cua said.
Cua said that teenage pregnancy often leads to mothers being forced to stop attending school, and are forced deeper into the cycle of poverty.
Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the CPD noted that there are a total 138,697 adolescent mothers aged 10 to 19 in the country.
The CPD expressed its alarm especially as the number of mothers below 15 years old is rising, with 3,612 under-15 mothers recorded in 2024, higher than the 3,343 posted in 2023 and 3,135 in 2022.
Cua highlighted the need for local governments to conduct regular education and awareness campaigns in communities, as well as providing easier access to health services.
“We have to engage our youth so that they become more aware of the pitfalls of being sexually irresponsible,” said the governor.
He said that teenage pregnancy often leads to mothers being forced to stop attending school, and are forced deeper into the cycle of poverty.
“Para sa mga nasa pamilyang naghihirap na, ang dagdag na pasanin na dala ng maagang pagbubuntis ng mga kabataan ay nagiging sanhi ng mas lalo pang pagkakabaon sa kahirapan at utang,” lamented Cua.
Besides awareness campaigns and access to services, Cua also touted the benefits of providing the youth with meaningful avenues to spend their time.
“We LGUs can provide opportunities for our youth to spend their time more productively through various trainings and activities that allow them to contribute toward the betterment of their communities such as tree-planting, coastal cleanups, and other volunteer work,” he said.
