If there’s a positive thing that ever resulted from the implementation of the mandatory Senior High School (SHS) level under the K to 12 program, it's that the number of teenage pregnancies has significantly dropped.

This was according to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who cited data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education's (EDCOM 2) report.

Yung mga nabubuntis, yung teenage pregnancies, ang laki ng ibinaba. Dahil nga yung mga bata, nag-aaral ngayon, kasi mandato na nga mag-aaral sila, yung teenage pregnancies natin, malaking ibinaba nung nagkaroon tayo ng senior high school (The rate of teenage pregnancies significantly dropped. Because students are now mandated to stay in school, the number of teenage pregnancies decreased notably when senior high school was implemented), he said in an interview on DWIZ.

So ibig sabihin yung bata, nakakapagtapos ng pag-aaral bago sila na nabubuntis o bago sila na ikinakasal. So may mga kabutihan na dapat nating pag-aaralan mabuti (So that means, teens are able to finish their studies before getting pregnant or getting married. There are positive outcomes here that we should study carefully), he added.

He said this amid the proposed removal of the mandatory SHS as a way to rationalize the country's basic education system.

President Marcos said the government will keep pushing for improvements in the K-12 system as long as the law remains in place, even as he echoed growing frustrations about its effectiveness and cost.

Gatchalian stated that he can't blame the President for his frustations since when he talks to parents, they usually complain about the increased expenses due to the two additional years.

College also wasn’t shortened; it’s still four years. So now, the time students spend in school is even longer, he added.

Marcos reiterated his concerns that the K-12 basic education program burdened parents while not serving its purpose.

However, Gatchalian argued that while the financial burden is real, data shows that senior high school has had positive effects that should not be overlooked.

Pero 'pag titignan natin yung datos, meron naman rin kabutihan yung senior high school. Unang-una, yung trabaho na nakukuha ng senior high school natin, mas mataas na uri kumpara sa junior high school (But if we look at the data, senior high school has its benefits. First of all, the jobs that our senior high school graduates get are of a higher quality compared to those who only finished junior high school), he said.

Pangalawa, mas mataas yung kanilang nakukuhang sweldo kumpara sa junior high school (Second, the salaries they receive are higher compared to those who only finished junior high school), he added.

Gatchalian also pointed to a decline in teenage unemployment as a result of the program. He noted that before K–12 was implemented, students that graduate at age of 16 have difficulty finding decent jobs.