THE HOUSE Committee on Women and Gender Equality has approved “in principle” four bills that seek to outlaw child marriage.

During the virtual hearing headed by Bukidnon Rep. Maria Lourdes Acosta-Alba, members of the committee approved the proposal for the committee secretary to come up with a substitute bill for the four measures.

The four bills to be substituted were filed by Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera-Dy, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, Rep. Josephine Veronique Lacson-Noel and Parañaque City Rep. Joy Myra Tambunting.

Acosta-Alba said the Philippines has the 12th highest absolute number of child brides in the world at 726,000. An estimated 15 percent Filipino girls are married before the age of 18 while two percent are married before the age of 15.

“As an ASEAN member state, we already committed to eliminating child and forced marriages by 2030 in line with the target 5.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, which sets a minimum age of 18 for marriage,” Acosta-Alba said.

In her sponsorship speech, Herrera-Dy said child marriage denies children of their childhood, disrupts their education and limits their opportunities.

Meanwhile, Tambunting said child marriage takes a heavy toll on the physical and psychological well-being of children.