AN OFFICIAL of the Commission on Population and Development warned that cases of teenage pregnancy will possibly rise as face-to-face classes resume.

In a report by One News, PopCom officer-in-charge Lolito Tacardon said that physical interaction among minors increases the chance of intimate encounters.

The pandemic forced schools to shift to distance learning for two years, minimizing physical interaction among children.

Tacardon reminded parents to monitor their children to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

“Let’s do our share in protecting and defending our young citizens against the threats of early childbearing. Weneed to see them realize their aspirations,” Tacardon said.

Data from the 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study showed that teenage pregnancy from ages 15 to 19 in the Philippines dropped from 13.7 percent in 2013 to 6.8 percent in 2021.

While the national percentage decreased over the years, half of the regions across the country still have higher percentage than the national average.

Tacardon said that sexuality education and access to reproductive health should be sustained and strengthened to continue the decline on adolescent pregnancy percentages.