On its 53rd year, POPCOM focuses on safeguarding welfare of young parents’ families, as teen pregnancy numbers dip nationwide

The Commission on Population and Development vows to further bolster its support for families being supported by young parents, as it revealed on its 53rd anniversary celebration that case numbers of adolescent pregnancies have further decreased in 2020. Based from its analysis sourced from the most recent data in the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Civil Registry and Vital Statistics (2019 and 2020), POPCOM disclosed on February 18, its foundation date, that the number of registered live births among adolescent mothers aged 10 to 17 significantly dropped nationwide from 2019’s 62,510 to 2020’s 56,428—a variance of 6,082, or a 10% decrease. All regions exhibited declines in numbers, with the National Capital Region (NCR) having the most pronounced decrease at 1,004 (from 7,536 in 2019, to 6,532 in 2020 for a 13% drop), then CALABARZON (842: from 8,008 to 7,166), then Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula, 646: 2,574 to 2,139) Region 9’s figures translated into the highest percentage change for the period at 17%. It was followed by Region 11 (Davao Region, at 14%: 4,551 to 3,905) and NCR. Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan Antonio Perez III, MD, MPH said the downtrend of adolescent pregnancies was a confluence of many factors, including the pandemic, but also of POPCOM’s unrelenting collaboration with government agencies, local government units (LGUs) like-minded partners and stakeholders in upholding the welfare of Filipino youth, especially those who started to have families at a young age. The POPCOM chief noted there were only 51 births among 10- to 12-year old girls in 2020: an average of 1 birth a week, which could be classified as results of statutory rape. Almost 60 percent of the fathers (59.47%) of the teen mothers and adolescents were 20 years or older, while 23.8 % were below 20 years old. In 2018, the percentage of fathers 20-years old and older was 63.5%, indicating a decline in 2020. Repeat pregnancies among adolescent mothers stood at 4,375, which was almost 8% of teen births that year. This figure is lower than the 4,633 repeat pregnancies in 2018. In all, repeat pregnancies among teen and adolescent mothers were at 16.6% in 2020. Numerous programs: This particular focus on the young Filipinos during the health emergency, according to Dr. Perez, was reflective of the agency’s pillar on adolescent health and development, or AHD. POPCOM credits the reduction in teen pregnancy figures to the numerous programs recently set in place together with its partners. He cited The Challenge Initiative with the Zuellig Family Foundation as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as being vital in limiting early pregnancy case numbers in many Philippine cities and LGUs. POPCOM also attributes the sliding statistics in teenage pregnancies to open communications and correct data dissemination. Key interventions for the youth include social media-based Konektado Tayo with the United States Agency for International Development, as well as the recently launched I Choose information drive program with the Department of Health. Girls who just became mothers at an early age have also been accorded with ample assistance, including their kids, through POPCOM’s linkage with the Department of Social Welfare and Development through the Special Protection Program for Adolescent Mothers and Their Children, or SPPAMC. The momentum of these efforts led to the eventual signing by President Rodrigo Duterte of Executive Order 141 in June 2021 directing government agencies to prioritize measures which will address adolescent pregnancies nationwide, which is still considered a “national social emergency.” Concerted efforts: “Despite effects of the pandemic’s quarantines and lockdowns, we and our partners continued to devote energies in protecting the welfare of our youth,” said POPCOM’s executive director. “They are concerted efforts to ensure our young people are being looked after and well taken care of as a vulnerable unit of society—one which was severely impacted by the health crisis.” POPCOM, he said, is giving great attention in protecting the welfare of society’s young people as declared in its 2022 anniversary theme: “Patuloy na Nagsusulong at Naglilingkod para sa Planado, Protektado at Progresibong Pamilyang Pilipino.” “We recognize the crucial role of our approximately 20 million young Filipinos in nation building, that’s why we are pushing and striving for an enabling environment for their welfare”, said the POPCOM chief. “As future innovators and leaders, we continue to invest and ensure that Filipino youth are protected and their potentials developed as they eventually lead their own families and communities.” ###