BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — With 11,297 teenagers in his province getting pregnant in 2022 and 2023, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson expressed alarm over the high number of cases, which he described as a serious concern.
Records showed the youngest to get pregnant was 12 years old, according to Girlie Pinongan, chief of the provincial health office (PHO).
Most of the teenage mothers are out-of-school youth, the report said.
Lacson said he would meet with city and municipal mayors to formulate strategies in reducing or preventing cases of teenage pregnancy.
Of the 35,628 pregnancies last year, teenagers accounted for 5,721.
The PHO recorded 5,576 cases of teenage pregnancy in 2022.
In the town of Don Salvador Benedicto (DSB), 52 percent of pregnant mothers were teenagers, or those aged 19 years and below, the PHO said.
DSB Mayor Laurence Marxlen dela Cruz said he would look into the reasons behind the high cases.
Dela Cruz said a majority of men who impregnated the teenagers were in their 40’s or older.
Lacson said the DSB is not the only area in the province that recorded a high teenage pregnancy rate.