The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has lauded the government for adopting as a national priority the implementation of measures to address the root causes of teenage pregnancies in the country.

The move was contained in Executive Order (EO) No. 141 issued last June 25 by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea by authority of President Duterte.

EO 141 cited that in 2018 there were 183,967 live births among adolescents aged 10-19 or 504 live births per day. In 2019, it said there were 180,916 live births for the same age group.

It also cited that “only three per cent is fathered by men of the same age group, and that such pregnancies may be a result of coercion and unequal power relations between girls and older men.”

It expressed alarm that “the number of adolescent pregnancies is expected to rise, as girls already living in dysfunctional homes spend more time with their households as a result of the pandemic and are thereby more exposed to abuse.”

The EO mobilized all member agencies of the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster in the Cabinet and other concerned agencies to spearhead the implementation of all measures against teenage pregnancies.

The CHR said the issuance of EO 141 affirms the state’s obligation to protect and promote the rights of all persons.

Through Spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia, the commission said the EO demonstrates a whole-of-government approach in dealing with teenage pregnancies and its impact on the social, economic, and health consequences of young women.

"The CHR echoes the proposed actions of the government to make the prevention of teenage pregnancies a national priority across all relevant institutions," De Guia said.

"As the Philippine Gender Ombud, the CHR has been active in supporting government policies and making recommendations to address persisting issues of women and girls, with focus on reproductive health rights," she said.

She pointed out that a young girl's life can change dramatically if she becomes pregnant. More often than not, the education and employment opportunities of the young girl will be negatively affected and she will become more vulnerable to poverty, violence, and social exclusion, she said.

The CHR said that one of the best ways to prevent teenage pregnancies is to popularize a comprehensive sexual education program and to make sexual reproductive health care more accessible to young girls.

This can be made possible with the help of partner government agencies and civil society organizations, it said.

Also, the CHR pushes for the provision of necessary support to pregnant young women, which includes access to justice, education, and work opportunities.

"It is our society’s responsibility to make sure that teenage pregnant women and mothers get a chance to reach their full potential," De Guia said.

"We have high hopes in the implementation of this policy and expect that it will be integrated in the overall plans and programs of the government to genuinely address the toxic environment and situation where teenage girls fall into," she added.