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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Gatchalian wants sustained drop in teenage pregnancies in PH ​

Gatchalian wants sustained drop in teenage pregnancies in PH ​

Published Jul 14, 2023 04:46 am
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has renewed his call for the government to ensure a sustained drop in teenage pregnancies in the country.                                      Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian (Senate PRIB Photo)   
Gatchalian said keeping girls in school remains an important strategy in curbing teenage pregnancy rates. Likewise, the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) being taught in schools also helps in addressing this phenomenon.   “Mahalaga ang papel ng mga paaralan upang maturuan ang mga batang kababaihan laban sa mga panganib ng maagang pagbubuntis (Schools have an important role to educate young women against the dangers of early pregnancy),” said Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.   “Kailangang tiyakin nating may akma at wastong edukasyon ang mga batang kababaihan upang mapangalagaan nila ang kanilang kalusugan at magandang kinabukasan (We need to make sure that young women have appropriate and proper education so that they can take care of their health and a bright future),” added the lawmaker.    Based on the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), 5.4 percent or 5,531 of women aged 15 to 19 in the country have been pregnant.    Compared to 2017, the PSA found that the rate of teenage pregnancy in the same age group was at 8.6 percent.    But for 2022, the decreasing trend in teenage pregnancy was recorded among 15 regions. Increases in teenage pregnancies were recorded, however, in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Western Visayas.   According to the agency, the percentage of teenage pregnancy decreases as educational attainment increases.    Gatchalian earlier sought a Senate inquiry into the matter through Senate Resolution No. 13. The inquiry also looked into the rising number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the Philippines.   The senator expressed alarm over reports that some pregnancies among minors aged 10 to 14 were with men aged 21 and up.    Such cases, Gatchalian said, entails an aggressive implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 11648, a law that he co-authored, which increased the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16.

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