The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Philippines on Wednesday welcomed the House of Representatives’ passage of a bill that aims to prevent adolescent pregnancies.
HOR on Wednesday afternoon unanimously approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) no. 8910, which will pave the way for a national action plan on the prevention of adolescent pregnancies, among other interventions.
“We welcome the passage of this important bill, which is a major step forward in reducing adolescent pregnancies and ensuring the rights of young people in the Philippines,” said UNFPA Philippines Country Representative Dr. Leila Joudane. UNFPA, which is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, said it is also looking forward to the passage of the counterpart bill in the Senate and the eventual enactment of the measure into law.
“Adolescent pregnancy has a devastating impact on the health, education, and economic opportunities of young women, and it is a major obstacle to the country’s development. This bill will help to ensure that young people have access to the information and services to make informed and responsible choices about their sexual and reproductive health and rights and prevent unwanted pregnancies,” Joudane added.
UNFPA has been serving as a resource speaker in the congressional deliberations of the said measure. It has highlighted important data on the negative impact of adolescent pregnancy not only on the affected individuals but also the development of the Philippines as it aims to reap the benefits of the demographic transition towards having a larger productive population. READ: UNFPA Philippines welcomes House committee’s approval of adolescent pregnancy bill
Although adolescent pregnancy among those 15-19 years old has gone down to 7.2% in 2021 from 14.4% in 2013, the Philippines still has one of the highest adolescent birth rates among ASEAN countries. The number of births by mothers aged 10-14 years have also shown a slight increase (1,903 in 2016 and 2,113 in 2020 according to the Philippine Statistics Authority).
UNFPA Philippines has been working closely with its partners in advocating for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of Filipino adolescents. It is working with the Department of Education on the implementation of Comprehensive Sexual Education in schools and working with local governments and communities to support young people’s meaningful participation. In addition, together with UNICEF and WHO, UNFPA implements a joint programme that aims to address the high rates of adolescent pregnancies in Eastern Visayas. This joint program is funded by Korea International Cooperation (KOICA).
