Nearly 1 in 10 Western Visayas teens pregnant, CPD-6 warns

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

ILOILO CITY – Strengthening responsible parenthood and ensuring that young people have access to accurate, age-appropriate information remain critical to reducing adolescent pregnancy in Western Visayas, the Commission on Population and Development in Western Visayas (CPD-6) said.

CPD-6 Director Harold Alfred Marshall said on July 30 that the region’s reported 9.8 percent pregnancy rate among girls and young women ages 10 to 19 is alarming, and that the agency’s long-term goal is to eliminate adolescent pregnancy through family-centered interventions.

“The 9.8 percent is alarming at any level because our goal is zero adolescent pregnancy here in the region and across the country,” he said, citing 2024 data.

“Adolescent pregnancy, young pregnancy should be eliminated. We acknowledge that this has been a problem since time immemorial. 9.8 percent is alarming because it affects the future of the child,” he added.

CPD-6 reported that 5.6 percent of girls ages 15 to 19 in Western Visayas have already begun childbearing, with the figure rising to 8.4 percent among 18-year-olds.

The agency also reported that 10.7 percent of young people ages 15 to 24 have either been pregnant or gotten someone pregnant, with the rate reaching 14.4 percent among young women in the same age group.

Live births among girls ages 10 to 14 increased from 85 in 2019 to 111 in 2022, before declining slightly to 103 in 2023.

Births among older adolescents ages 15 to 19 continued to decrease over the same period.

Marshall said adolescent pregnancy often disrupts education and employment opportunities, increasing the risk that families will remain trapped in poverty.

“When they start having children at such a young age, what will be their future now? And we all know this will possibly become a cycle of poverty,” he said.

While acknowledging that many young mothers eventually succeed in life, Marshall said prevention remains the priority, through the delivery of timely and age-appropriate information to adolescents and their parents.

“That’s why the issue goes back to responsible parenthood and family planning. How do we help parents help their children become productive members of their community? And how do we help not only the parents, but also the adults, to become really responsible and productive members of their community?” Marshall said.

“Our approach is not only exclusively targeting the children but also their parents,” he added.

Marshall said adolescent pregnancy is driven by multiple factors, including public policies, community-based programs, family dynamics, and access to accurate reproductive health information.

To improve access to reproductive health and population education, CPD-6 has launched the AHlam Na! 3.0 app, a digital platform that provides age-appropriate and evidence-based population and development information through online channels commonly used by young people.

Adolescent pregnancy has been a declared national priority since 2021, when Executive Order No. 141 directed government agencies to implement measures addressing its social and economic drivers.

The order tasked the Commission on Population and Development with leading the national response.

Earlier, Republic Act 10354, or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, mandated age- and development-appropriate reproductive health education in schools, along with access to family planning services.

Meanwhile, CPD-6 Population Program Officer Roilo Vincent Laguna said adolescent pregnancy should not define a young person’s future.

“Adolescent pregnancy is not a death penalty; if you get pregnant, everything is already the end.”

Laguna said the agency continues to adopt a whole-of-government approach, working with national government agencies, local government units, schools, and other stakeholders.

He said the partnerships aim to provide support services, education, and opportunities that enable young parents to continue their studies and rebuild their lives.

“It takes a village to raise a child. That’s exactly what we are doing right now,” Laguna added.