LAGUNA 2nd District Rep. Ruth Mariano-Hernandez called on her colleagues at the House of Representatives to act on the adolescent pregnancy prevention bills, saying children must stop bearing children of their own.

“We need a law focused on addressing adolescent pregnancies that will devote programs and resources and deliver social protection for adolescent parents,” Hernandez said.

The lawmaker cited a report of the Save the Children Childhood in 2019 that adolescent pregnancy affects 5.99 percent of Filipino girls, the second highest rate in Southeast Asia.

“Adolescent pregnancy remains among the most serious concerns with majority of Filipinos referring to it as the most important problem for Filipino women today, as revealed in a 2020 survey of the Social Weather Stations,” Hernandez said.

This year’s National Demographic and Health Survey said that five percent of Filipino women aged 15 to 19 have begun bearing children.

“While this is an improvement from 9 percent in 2017, it is important to take note that according to civil registry data, pregnancy among girls 10 to 14 years old is increasing. The number of births among very young adolescents or girls aged 10-14 is likewise troubling. In 2019, there were 2,411 births among very young adolescents; this figure doubled in just over a decade, from 1,116 births in 2008. These children are not even officially considered women of reproductive age,” the lawmaker said.

She explained that when a girl gets pregnant, her life changes drastically stressing that early pregnancy has serious repercussions that affect a girl’s emotional, physical, and mental health, her education and development.

“We must intensify our institutions toward eliminating sexual violence, abuse, and gender-based discrimination. Our youth social development program should also provide knowledge to avoid high-risk behaviors such as early sexual activity,” Hernandez said.