Teenage pregnancy on the rise

There is evidence supporting the Reproductive Health law  that  calls for  sexuality education  among young students. I am not for teaching the kids to engage in “safe” sex, but rather, for telling them why they should not engage in early sex, and yes, before marriage. With regulated sexuality education, the young are informed about sex, pregnancy, unplanned and planned, instead of through the internet or pornographic magazines that somehow manage to reach them. Peep into their rooms  and you’ll see copies of Playboy and  Penthouse and other sexy publications tucked between the bed sheets, and  for-adults-only videos in the internet.

Figures made available to us show that globally, 14-16 million adolescent girls between 15 and 19 years old give birth every year and pregnancy-related deaths are the leading cause of death for girls  at such young ages.

Honing  home,  we have copies of the 2011 annual report of the UNFPA-Philippines office  which report that teen pregnancies in the country rose by 70 percent in a span of 10 years from 114,205 in 1999 to 195,662 in 2009.

These statistics were revealed at a press conference the other day by officials of the National Youth Commission, the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund),  Commission on Population, the National Statistics Office and civil society organizations. At the end of the conference the call was made for collective actions to address the issue. 

 Benjamin de Leon, president of the Forum for Family Planning and Development, an NGO working on adolescent health issues, expressed alarm that almost 10 percent of all Filipino women aged 15-19 have already given birth. “This is a reality that we must address, he said.

There is an urgency for all sectors “to work together to help address adolescent reproductive health issues and teen pregnancy because of the health and economic implications to the country,” he said. “A high rate of teen pregnancy also means a high risk for maternal deaths among our young girls.”

The same alarming  message was made  by Carmelita Ericta, administrator of the National Statistics Office (NSO).  “There is an increasing trend of maternal deaths among teenagers,” she said. “The proportion of maternal deaths doubled from 5 percent to 10 percent between 2000 and 2010. The number of babies born to teenage mothers also increased from 7.1 percent to 11 percent.”

 NSO data also show that 13-14 percent  of all registered marriages are among teenagers below 20 years old while data from the National Youth Commission  show that the rate of teen pregnancy in the country is among the highest in the ASEAN region and the only country where the rate is increasing. 

The global issue of teen pregnancy is  the reason why the annual celebration of World Population Day —  July 11 — led by UNFPA, focuses on addressing teen pregnancy. 

“The Philippines joins the rest of the world in calling the attention of government and civil society groups to help address  rising teen pregnancies through better policies, improved education and information campaigns and programs that can reach our adolescents  in schools, in communities or wherever they may be,” de Leon said.

*      *      *

The National Historical Commission made history by awarding The Aristocrat Restaurant a Historical Marker, which stands in front of the restaurant at the corner of Roxas boulevard and  Singalong street in Manila.

National Historical Commission Chair  Serena Diokno, at the celebratory program, said  the award was a first,  as  by practice, awards have been given to honor heroes and historical events. “But we all know that Philippine history is not only in the field of politics,” she said.

“Social history is very important and Aristocrat Restaurant is an important part of social history. From a simple store, it has become a prominent and stable restaurant; it became known for the unique Filipino food that reflects our rich culture.”

 The restaurant started as a rolling food store in 1936, under the ministration of  Ingracia Cruz- Reyes,  or simply Aling Asiang,  and became the place to go for  a mix of lower and middle class and upper-class clientele for tasty Filipino dishes. The Reyes family discussed the proper name for the  snack store, calling it first The Admiral Dewey (the original name of Roxas Boulevard), then The Aristocrat, for the discriminating crowds who knew where to go for tasty Filipino dishes.  Diokno said the restaurant has been an enduring structure.

The restaurant is now run by two generations of Aling Asiang’s clan, led by its president Priscila Reyes-Pacheco, and manager Raymund A. Reyes. Priscila accepted the  historical marker, saying the restaurant “has served the general public regardless of social status in life.”

A small room in the restaurant was blessed —  the  Justice Alex Reyes Sala, named  in honor of Aling Asiang’s husband. Aling Asiang was popular as an exemplary restaurateur, but her husband was a figure just as respected, admired and incorruptible — in the judicial field.  He was  of humble origins who worked himself through school, and ended up at the apex of every lawyer’s ambitions – as associate justice of the Supreme Court.

The sala displayed pictures of historical events — of  the Reyes couple in the company of world leaders, including President Richard Nixon and his wife and Philippine presidents and their spouses, and the who’s who in society.

When you go to  The Aristocrat for its delectable seafood dishes, dinuguan, mechado, and yes, halo-halo, insist on dropping at the Justice Alex Reyes Sala, to make your dining experience complete.

*      *      *

 Speaking about historical structures, there’s a well-appreciated initiative to restore and conserve age-old structures in various parts of the country – baroque churches, heritage houses, colonial buildings and bridges.

Restoring such structures, Sen. Loren Legarda said, is an area where jobs for Filipinos skilled in building methods are appreciated.  It also helps “boost cultural terrorism in our areas of heritage, and (generates) more jobs and bigger income for our citizens and local governments.”

Legarda made the statement coinciding with the ceremonial signings of the Founding of the Escuela Taller de Filipinas Foundation, Inc. and the Framework Agreement between the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Intramuros Administration.

 The senator said that the Philippines is a nation endowed with a rich cultural history, but the preservation of which is a continuing challenge especially due to rapid technological advancements.

On the other hand, she said, unemployment has remained among the challenges the State needs to address. Unemployment in the country rose to 7. 5 percent  in April amid a 7.8 growth in the economy during the first quarter of 2013, she said.

The Escuela Taller is a vocational school in Intramuros initiated by the Spanish embassy. It aims to teach skills related to building construction to disadvantaged but talented Filipino youth. Students in this vocational school specialize in areas like masonry, carpentry, metal works, painting, plumbing, and acquire skills in woodcarving and stone carving.

Students have been involved in revival projects for the historic quarter of Intramuros, establishment of the Vigan Conservation Complex, rehabilitation of the Rice Terraces in Ifugao, restoration of colonial churches and bridges, and other related heritage restoration projects.

*      *      *

Email:dominitorrevillas@gmail.com