Advocacy groups boost reproductive healthcare, urge Senate on anti-teen pregnancy bill

MANILA, Philippines — Several international agencies have forged a reproductive health program for adolescents to urge the passage of a law seeking to mitigate the surging rate of teenage pregnancy in the Philippines.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency and the United Nations in the Philippines have implemented the Joint Programme on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy, which aims to bridge the gap between female youth and their access to comprehensive sex education.

More than a year stalled, the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill or House Bill 8910 has obtained the House of Representatives’ nod in September last year with 232 affirmative votes, but its Senate counterpart has yet to consider the bill for a second reading.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the proposed legislation would help young Filipinos make “informed choices” that could prevent them from experiencing serious health risks, including maternal and infant deaths and unsafe abortions. 

“Having a comprehensive framework to address this urgent issue and to protect the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young Filipinos, will help empower adolescents to make informed choices about their bodies and pave the way for better futures," UNFPA Philippines Country Representative Leila Saiji Joudane said.

The reproductive health program will be installed in Samar and Southern Leyte in light of a 2021 study that revealed Eastern Visayas, where the two provinces belong, as one of the regions with the highest rates of 15 to 19-year-old pregnant females.

UNFPA noted that individuals under 18 still require written parental consent for family planning services, which hinders them from receiving essential care.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) believes that the bill would encourage young girls to be productive citizens of society.

“Adolescent girls’ dreams to learn and get decent jobs should not be cut short… This bill needs to retain the clauses that better define roles and accountability of duty bearers, which can help everyone in the community to work together to tackle the social factors that lead to more teen pregnancies,” UNICEF Philippines Representative Behzad Noubary said.

Data from the Philippines’ Commission on Population and Development showed a year-on-year growth of 10.2% in live births from 10 to 19-year-old girls between 2021 and 2022.  — Intern, Cali Asajar