A House committee recently approved a consolidated bill that seeks to provide a more “comprehensive” sexual education to Filipino adolescents in a bid to prevent unintended pregnancies.
The House Committee on Youth and Sports Development approved the substitute bill for the proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act during its 6th regular meeting last Tuesday.
The substitute bill seeks to make “significant” strides in “safeguarding the rights and well-being of Filipino adolescents” by providing a “comprehensive” policy that would address the various sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents.
The bill would provide age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education; access to information and services; and measures to prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce adolescent childbearing to achieve its goals. The bill also institutionalizes the social protection of adolescent parents and their children.
“PLCPD [Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development] urges both chambers of Congress to take immediate action by engaging in thorough discussions and casting their votes on the bill,” Rom Dongeto, Executive Director of PLCPD said.
“We cannot afford to keep young people uninformed. We must guarantee their access to accurate information, education, and suitable reproductive health services,” Dongeto added.
The proposed legislation would establish an Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Inter-Agency Council and mandate the implementation of a National Program of Action and Investment Plan for the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancies as well as development of a Community-based and Culturally-Sensitive, Age and Developmentally-Appropriate Comprehensive Adolescent Sexuality Education (CASE).
PLCPD noted that adolescent pregnancy remains a “significant” concern in the Philippines as the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) highlighted the “alarming” rate of pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14 despite a declining trend in the past five years.
Citing Philippine Statistics Authority, the PLCPD said there were 2,299 births among girls aged 10 to 14 in 2021, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recorded 133,000 families led by minors. The group noted that these exemplify “the far-reaching consequences on families throughout the country.”
“Young people have the right to lead healthy lives and the means to protect their health and safeguard their future. These include access to reproductive health information, services, and commodities,” Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman, who is the principal author of the bill, said in a statement.
