BY VANNE TERRAZOLA
More minors are getting pregnant in the Philippines, the Commission on Population (POPCOM) said Friday as it clarified that at least 40 to 50 children aged 10 to 14 give birth every week, and not every year.
POPCOM executive director Juan Antonio Perez III corrected the statement he gave Thursday to point out the increasing numbers of Filipino teenagers who have gotten pregnant.
“Actually, ang bilang, medyo i-correct ko lang ang balita, mga 40 to 50 every week ang nanganganak na 10 to 14 years old,” Perez said in an interview over ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
During the Senate finance committee’ hearing, he told senators: “Roughly 40 to 50 10-year-old children are giving birth every year.”
Citing Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data, he said 2,250 children aged 10-14 years old gave birth in 2018, doubling from the 1,000 recorded in 2007. Meanwhile, he said an average of 64,000 minors children give birth every year.
“Overall, ang teen pregnancy sa Pilipinas, 500 ang nanganganak kada araw (around 500 teenagers give birth every day in the Philippines).”
“Nag-aalala kami na ito’y nangyayari sa panahon ng ini-implement pa naman natin ‘yong RPRH (Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law),” Perez said.
Asked about what possibly went wrong in implementation of the law, Perez cited the Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling which restricted minors who have been pregnant or had a miscarriage from accessing family planning and reproductive health services without their parents’ consent. This was one of the provisions struck down by the high court while declaring the RH Law constitutional.
“May palagay kami na dahil tumaas ‘yong bilang nitong last six years na nagbabantay kami ay epekto rin ito ng pagkaalis ng access, ng karapatang gumamit ng family planning ng kabataang may anak na o buntis na,” he said. (Vanne Terrazola)
