THE HOUSE Committee on Women and Gender Equality has approved the committee report and substitute bill that prohibits child marriage.

In a virtual hearing headed by Bukidnon Rep. Ma. Loudes Acosta-Alba, members of the committee agreed to endorse to the plenary the bill that will also promote programs to end child marriage.

Acosta-Alba said the panel was informed by the Girls not Brides website that the Philippines was the 10th country worldwide with the highest absolute number of child brides at 808,000.

“This means that 17 percent of Filipino girls are married before their 18th birthday and two percent are married before the age of 15. Several years back, we were ranked Number 12,” Acosta-Alba said.

“So things are not getting any better especially for the future of our young girls. And this is more than enough justification for us to act swiftly to end child marriage,” she added.

The substitute bill refers to child marriage as any formal marriage between children under the age of 18, and between an adult and a child.

It also seeks to declare the facilitation of child marriage, solemnization of child marriage; and having an adult partner unlawful.

“The approval of our draft substitute bill completely means that we are here to really care and work for the future of our young girls, their families, and communities. Hopefully, several years from now we will be delisted in the enumeration of countries with the highest incidence of child marriage,” the lawmaker said.