NEGROS Occidental Provincial Health Office will help the Department of Education in addressing the growing number of teenage pregnancies.

PHO head Dr. Girlie Pinongan revealed that the youngest case child was a 12-year-old.

According to PHO’s recently released data, it showed there were 6,026 pregnant teenagers in Negros Occidental in 2022.

Meanwhile, there were 5,271 teenagers among the 35,628 total pregnancies in 2023.

Pinongan also said that the majority of teenage mothers were out-of-school youth.

Pinongan claimed that the local government units have been proactively campaigning against teenage pregnancy.

A Family Planning Training Center was built at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.