Press Release
August 29, 2019

National policy, social protection to curb PH teenage pregnancies- Revilla

Sen. Bong Revilla has filed Senate Bill No. 649, the "Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2019" which will address what is described by the National Economic and Development Authority as a "national social emergency."

Under this bill, a National Program on the Prevention on Teenage Pregnancy (NPPTP) will be formulated as a priority program of the Population Commission (POPCOM). It also proposes to create Information and Service Delivery Network for Adolescent Health and Development (ISDN for AHD) in various levels of the government, participated in by private organizations that will provide health services for adolescents.

A National Information System on the Prevention of Teenage Pregnancy shall also be created to comprehensively assesses, monitor and evaluate the programs implemented under this measure.

Bong Revilla clarified that the bill does not solely focus on lowering teenage pregnancies, and added that government should provide support and services to teenage mothers through various forms of social protection such as health services, residential care, education, training and skills development, and livelihood programs.

The bill further mandates for a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to be implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd).

The lawmaker sought the support of his fellow solons echoing the call of Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia for the legislature to take immediate action on the matter, ensuring the health of both adolescent mothers and their children, and avoid the rise of school dropout rates nationwide due to untimely pregnancies.

A National Demographic Health Survey revealed that 9 percent of Filipino women aged 15 to 19 have given birth. It is also estimated that around P 24 B to P42 B worth of potential lifetime earnings of women have been lost due to teenage pregnancy.

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