The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) has expressed concern over the increasing rates of pregnancy among adolescents, particularly those below 15 years old, highlighting the negative impacts on their health and education. During the Visayas Media Conference hosted by the Department of Health (DOH) in Iloilo, CPD Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Division Chief Mylin Mirasol Quiray reported that the number of registered live births among very young adolescents aged 0-14 has generally increased from 2019 to 2023.
“The fact that it is increasing is very alarming,” Quiray stated on Wednesday afternoon. She cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), revealing that one in ten babies born in 2023 was to an adolescent mother. While live births among the 15 to 19 age group are declining, those among 14-year-olds and younger are on the rise.
National data indicated that of the 150,138 adolescent mothers in 2022, 3,135 were below 15 years old. In 2023, out of 142,275 adolescent mothers, 3,343 were below this age threshold. In Western Visayas, live births among the 10 to 14 age group increased over the past five years, rising from 85 in 2019 to 111 in 2022, and then to 103 in 2023.
Quiray urged local officials, particularly the Sangguniang Kabataan (youth councils), to prioritize reproductive health programs to address the rising rates of adolescent pregnancy and associated mental health issues. “Our young people need information and reproductive health education. Our Sanggunian Kabataan should be aware that their money can be put to good use if they have reproductive health education,” she emphasized.
She also referenced the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study, which indicated that many young Filipinos aged 15 to 24 have contemplated suicide. Quiray suggested that local officials could craft policies to ensure the budget and sustainability of reproductive health programs.
Despite the alarming trends in adolescent pregnancy, Quiray noted that there is no cause for alarm regarding the country’s declining population growth rate. She cited PSA data showing that 13 provinces and approximately 16 percent, or 216, of the total cities and municipalities in the country recorded a negative population growth rate (PGR) from 2020 to 2024. Additionally, 16 of 18 regions experienced a slowdown in PGR during the same period.
“Even if our population growth rate may be negative, it will still grow because of the large population base. That concept is called population momentum,” she explained. Quiray reiterated the importance of strengthening family planning and responsible parenthood to ensure a good quality of life for families.