POLICY BRIEF

January 2020

# Girls Not M oms:

#
Eliminating Teenage
Pregnancy in the Philippines
The Philippines’ population will reach 108.8 million in 2020, according to the
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) estimate.1 More than 53 million are below
25 years of age, including 10.3 million adolescent girls (10-19 years old). 
Countries with a “demographic window of opportunity” and large shares of
young people, such as the Philippines, have an opportunity to accelerate
development if strategic investments are made. This is a phenomenon known
as the “demographic dividend” which is discussed in Chapter 13 of the
Philippines Development Plan 2017-2022.2
KEY POINTS
This is exactly how countries like Japan achieved economic growth – by reaping
The Philippines has one of the a demographic dividend by investing in health, education, and employability of
young people.3 Looking back in the 1970s, the Philippines, Thailand, and
highest teenage pregnancy
Republic of Korea (South Korea) shared almost a similar population – South
rates among the ASEAN
Korea 32 million, Thailand 37 million, and the Philippines 36 million. 4 50 years
member states. later in 2020, South Korea’s population has increased by 59% to 51 million,
More than 500 adolescents are Thailand by 189% to 70 million, and the Philippines by 304% to 109 million. 
becoming pregnant and giving The ranking of GNI per capita of these countries is the opposite to the
birth every day. population growth, with South Korea the highest at  30,600 USD, Thailand at
Childbearing in adolescence 6,610 USD and the Philippines at 3,830 USD, according to the World Bank. 5
carries increased risks for poor
health outcomes for both
A Threat to the Economic Growth of the Country
mother and child, and lower
educational attainment and One of the most pressing issues that the Filipino youth are facing today is
employability, causing economic teenage pregnancy. A UNFPA-commissioned study in 2016 revealed that those
losses to the country. adolescents in the Philippines who have begun childbearing before the age of
Comprehensive sexuality 18 are less likely to complete secondary education compared to the
education alongside better adolescents who have not begun childbearing.6 The non-completion of
access to services for the secondary education impacts employment opportunities in the future and total
life earnings of families. The net estimated effect of early childbearing due to
adolescent is the key to ending
lost opportunities and foregone earnings can be as high as 33 Billion pesos
teenage pregnancy.
annual losses for the country.7
---------------------------------------------------------------

UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND In the Nairobi Summit in November 2019 that marked the 25th anniversary of
Ensuring rights and choices for all the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD),
15F North Tower, Rockwell Business Center the Government of the Philippines expressed a strong pledge to recommit the
Sheridan, Sheridan cor. United Sts., Highway country to the 1994 ICPD Programme of Action that promotes sexual and
Hills, Mandaluyong City, reproductive health (SRH), reproductive rights, gender equality, and
Philipines 1550 empowerment of adolescents and youth.8 Without ensuring full and equal
www.philippines.unfpa.org access to sexual reproductive health and reproductive rights for all Filipinos
@UNFPAph including the adolescent and youth, young Filipinos will not be able to fulfill
(632) 7902 9900 their full potential and the country will risk missing a demographic dividend.
philippines.office@unfpa.org
 2
Policy Brief

Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines Poorer Health Outcomes Related to

Teenage Pregnancies
The teenage pregnancy rate in the Philippines was 10%
in 2008, down to 9% in 2017.9 Live births by teenage Childbearing in adolescence carries increased risks for
mothers (aged 10-19) in 2016 totalled 203,085, which poor health outcomes for both mother and child; and
slightly decreased to 196,478 in 2017 and 183,000 in the younger the adolescent, the greater the risks.15
2018.10 Still, the Philippines has one of the highest Pregnancy during adolescence is associated with a
adolescent birth rates among the ASEAN Member States. higher risk of health problems like anemia, sexually
Recent World Bank data shows that the Philippines has transmitted infections (STIs), postpartum hemorrhage,
47 births annually per 1,000 women aged 15-19, higher and poor mental health outcomes such as depression,
than the average adolescent birth rates of 44 globally and even suicide.16 Adolescents who become pregnant at
and 33.5 in the ASEAN region [cf. Lao PDR (76), Cambodia an early age have associated risk factors such as having
(57), Indonesia (48) and Thailand (43)].11 This entails that greater age differences with their partners, which may
more than 500 Filipino adolescent girls are getting put them at greater risk of domestic violence, as well as
pregnant and giving birth every day. UNFPA echoes the acquiring HIV and other STIs.17
sense of urgency  demonstrated by NEDA and POPCOM,
which recently described the still alarmingly high teenage
pregnancy rate in the country as a “national emergency”.12
Vulnerabilities of Filipino Adolescents
Figure 1. Adolescent Birth Rate
Closely-spaced pregnancies. Adolescents in the
per 1,000 live birth in women aged 15-19 years old
Philippines are also at risk for multiple and frequent
pregnancies. The following factors contribute to shorter
birth intervals and multiple pregnancies in adolescence:
1) lower educational attainment and economic status; 2)
poor access to contraception exacerbated  by legal
barriers to access modern contraception; 3) challenges in
the implementation of comprehensive sexuality
education (see below); and 4) limited service delivery
points providing adolescent and youth-friendly sexuality
and reproductive health services.18

Contributory risk behaviors. Adolescent mothers are

more exposed to domestic violence.  Global data shows
women who experience intimate partner violence have a
Adopted from the World Bank data. Retrieved from:
16% greater chance of having a low birth-weight baby,
(http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.ADO.TFRT) and are more than twice as likely to experience
depression – all factors that can negatively impact the
It is also crucial to note that out of live births within the child’s development.19
15-19 age group, which comprised 11.4% of all live
births, only 3% is fathered by men of the same age group
(PSA-CRSV, 2017).13 This data suggests that teenage Barriers to Accessing Comprehensive Care
pregnancies among girls among the 15-19 years old may
be a result of coercion and unequal power relations Discordance in legal provisions (legal age for consent for
between girls and older men. The 2015 Baseline Study services such as contraception is older than the age of
on Violence Against Children also reinforced this and consent to have sex) puts developmentally capable,
further highlighted that verbal insistence and emotional sexually active young people who often do not want to
blackmail are the usual forms of sexual coercion in disclose sexual activity to parents at risk by requiring
dating relationships.14 them to obtain parental consent to access SRH services.20
 3
Policy Brief

Recommendations

All levels of the government have the

responsibility to ensure that adolescent and
youth populations enjoy the highest attainable
standard of health and access to quality health
services including SRH. Adolescents and youth
deserve to enjoy the full extent of their rights
and the ‘triple dividend’ of improving their
health now, their lives in the future, and the
next generation by investing in their health.
There are examples of countries within Asia
and the Pacific, which are enacting laws and
policies that among others, seek to recognize
the evolving capacities of youth, facilitate
access to sexuality and reproductive health
information and services, protect against
discrimination and stigma, and recognize
privacy rights.25
Socio-cultural norms reinforcing stigma and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

discrimination, as well as  lack of availability, Increasing adolescent and youth resilience
affordability, and accessibility of adolescent- and protection. Contrary to popular belief,
friendly health services also pose greater there is no evidence that shows sexuality
health risks for youth and adolescents, by education programs lead to early sexual debut
preventing these young people from accessing or increased sexual activity.26,27CSE is the
comprehensive and quality health services cornerstone of improving the SRH of young
they need.21,22 people. In order to make healthy, responsible
decisions, young people need accurate
information about puberty, reproduction,
Comprehensive Sexuality Education relationships, sexuality, the consequences of
unsafe sex, and how to avoid HIV, STIs, and
The 2012 RPRH Act includes a provision that unintended pregnancy.28 They also need the
mandates the Department of Education to skills and confidence to be able to deal with
implement age and development-appropriate peer pressure and negotiate safe and
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in consensual relationships. CSE programs that
formal and non-formal education settings.23 The address the above situations have been
long delay in the adoption and integration of proven not only to have a positive impact on
CSE in the K-12 Curriculum is a significant knowledge and attitudes, but also to
missed opportunity to provide young people contribute to safer sexual practices (such as
with non-judgmental and scientifically accurate delaying sexual debut, reducing the number of
and age-appropriate SRH information that partners, and increasing condom and
would curb the knowledge gap and provide life contraceptive use). Moreover, CSE can also
skills needed to make informed decisions reduce the negative consequences of unsafe
related to risk behaviors with consequences to sex.29
their health.24

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4
Policy Brief

Managing fertility rates, improving education and it is informed, confidential, and private.33 This is further
employment opportunities of young people to reap the emphasized in the Convention on the Rights of the Child
demographic dividend. In many countries, General Comments 20, which underscores the evolving
postponement of the first birth has contributed greatly capacity of the child to make decisions on matters
to overall fertility reduction.30 In order not to miss the the relating to their education, health, sexuality, family life,
current “demographic window of opportunity,” it is and judicial and administrative proceedings" (para. 23).34
imperative for the Philippines to institute better health The Convention emphasizes that all adolescents have the
reforms to manage the total fertility, alongside reforms right to have access to confidential medical counselling
to improve employment opportunities for young people. and advice without the consent of a parent or guardian,
More effective and scaled-up community mobilization irrespective of age, if they so wish (para. 39).35
interventions will be required to discourage early
marriage and teenage pregnancy. Strengthening parental skills for adolescents and youth.
Parents and families also play an important role as
Enhancing social protection mechanisms. More public health educators and are an important influence on
investment needs to be made to mitigate teenage young people’s attitudes and behaviors, as well as on
pregnancy, in addition to prevention.  Those adolescents their overall health and well-being. Even when
who have already become parents need to be provided adolescents and youth want to discuss sexuality and
with access to quality social welfare services (e.g. reproductive health issues with their parents, they tend
postpartum family planning support for teenage parents to be unable to provide necessary  information in an
to space pregnancy and delay the next birth) and case effective manner due to socio-cultural taboos and their
management interventions, particularly when any one of own lack of knowledge, and therefore the parents need
the young parents is assessed to be himself or herself a to be supported as well.36 Studies have suggested that
child in need of special protection. To adequately adolescent girls’ connectedness to parents, particularly
address the SRH needs of adolescents, health care must their mothers, and a family environment that supports
be affordable and accessible to all young people. gender equality contribute to delayed first sex among
girls.
Improving access to adolescent and youth-friendly
services, including contraceptives. Adolescent and
youth-friendly services provide privacy in a welcoming Item 8 to Reduce TeenageItem
Figure 2. Recommendations 1
Pregnancy
and respectful environment. These services can be 12.5% 12.5%
provided in facilities by those trained to appropriately
respond to the needs of the adolescent and youth in a
non-discriminatory, helping and confidential manner.
increased data,
Resilience & statistics,
Section 7 of the 2012 RPRH Act states that minors in the Item 7 Protection evidence Item
Philippines require written parental consent to access
family planning services including contraceptives. The 12.5% 12.5
better
only exception is for minors who have already given birth fertility use of media &
or experienced a miscarriage. Age of consent laws to rates communications 
management Rights &
access sexual and reproductive health services can Well-being
discourage  adolescents to fully exercise their sexual and of Adolescents
reproductive rights.31 inter-agency
Social Protection coordination &
Mechanism collaboration
UNFPA promotes universal access to sexual and
Item 6 Item
reproductive health and rights which includes access to Adolescent Parental
skills
health information and services for adolescents to help 12.5% & Youth for 12.5
Friendly adolescent
facilitate informed choices.32 With or without parental services & youth
consent, adolescents should be able to access
appropriate RH services and information, ensuring that

Item 5 Item 4
12.5% 12.5%
 5
Policy Brief

Strengthening inter-agency coordination and Ultimately, UNFPA promotes the rights and well-being
collaboration, both horizontally and vertically. No single of all adolescents. UNFPA supports the government in
agency can design and deliver on adolescents’ unique introducing legislation and interventions that recognize
health and development needs across all settings. A the rights of adolescents to take increasing responsibility
comprehensive Adolescent Health and Development for decisions affecting their lives and express views on all
Program (AHDP) with strong inter-agency coordination matters of concern to them. All laws, policies, and
and collaboration is needed wherein each agency programs that aim to prevent teen pregnancy should not
involved clearly understands its own role and assumes in any way, either directly or indirectly, disadvantage,
accountability for achieving the results assigned under stigmatize, or penalize adolescents for factual
the program. In light of the introduction of Universal consensual and non-exploitative sexual activity.
Health Care too, it will be critical to ensure that
enhanced provision of information and services for
adolescents and youth as directed by national laws and
policies are adequately implemented in Local CALL TO ACTION
Government Units with sufficient allocation of budget
and human resources.  Surveys like the Young Adult The United Nations Population Fund welcomes the
Fertility and Sexuality Survey (YAFSS) provide valuable promulgation of national laws and policies for the
data which informs the creation and implementation of prevention and mitigation of teenage pregnancies, as
relevant adolescent SRH services and programs. it likewise ensures alignment of national programs with
Continuing this survey at regular intervals will inform the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and
better planning and monitoring, and thereby improve Adolescents’ Health which seeks to end preventable
service delivery for adolescents and youth . deaths, ensure health and well-being and expand
enabling environments. 
Robust data and statistics, and more updated evidence
to inform policies and programs for adolescents.  Sound Furthermore, the enactment of national policies on
policy formulation, effective implementation, monitoring teenage pregnancy will contribute to the attainment of: 
and coordination hinge on the availability of quality the Sustainable Development Goals, Ambisyon Natin
data.  More regular undertaking of the above-mentioned 2040, Philippine Development Plan, Philippine Health
Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey (to be Agenda, Philippine Youth Development Plan, National
renamed as Adolescent Health and Development Survey) Plan of Action for Children and the Philippine Plan of
is crucial, as discussed earlier. Action to End Violence Against Children.

Maximizing use of media and communications for UNFPA supports the core commitments of the 2019
health promotion. Today’s young people are growing in Declaration on Addressing the Education, Health and 
a rapidly changing society. Urbanization and Development Issues of Early Pregnancy in the Philippines
globalization have increased access to internet, social during the Kapit Kamay Teen Summit organized by DepEd,
38
media and new information technologies that become DOH, and NEDA in August 2019.
platforms for interaction and knowledge sharing
especially among young people. As UNFPA’s 2017 report A whole-of-government approach is required to actualise
indicated, as children grow older, their internet usage the commitments of Kapit Kamay to ensure that all young
increases.37 This provides an opportunity to implement Filipinos and Filipinas are empowered to make informed
programs directed at young people to harness the and responsible decisions.
potential of these online platforms as avenues to
promote positive self-image, responsible sexuality and
help-seeking behavior.ome
 Policy Brief

REFERENCES

1. Philippines Statistic Authority. Updated Population Projections Based on the Results of 2015 POPCEN. Retrieved from:
https://psa.gov.ph/content/updated-population-projections-based-results-2015-popcen. October 2019.
2. Mapa, D., UNFPA, Harvesting the Demographic Dividend Fast: Necessary for Ambisyon Natin (2040). 2015
3. Weeks, John R.  Population: An Introduction to Concepts and Issues: Cengage Learning. 2020
4. World Bank Group. World Total Population. Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL 2019
5. World Bank Group. GNI per capita, PPP (current international $). Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD. 
2019
6. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Longitudinal Cohort Study on the Filipino Child Baseline Data. 2016.
7. Herrin, A. Education, Earnings and Health Effects of Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines. Retrieved from:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://philippines.unfpa.org/en/publications/education-earnings-and-health-effects-teenage-pregnancy-philippines. 2016
8. National Economic and Development Authority. Retrieved from: http://www.neda.gov.ph/philippine-statement-of-commitment-during-the-
nairobi-summit-on-international-conference-on-population-and-development-icpd/. 2019
9. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). National Demographic and Health Survey 2017. Retrieved from:
https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/PHILIPPINE%20NATIONAL%20DEMOGRAPHIC%20AND%20HEALTH%20SURVEY%202017_new.pdf
10. Philippine Statistics Authority. 2016, 2017 and 2018 Civil Registry and Vital Statistics.
11. World Bank Group. Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19).  Retrieved from:
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.ADO.TFRT. 2019
12. POPCOM. “POPCOM calls for prevention of repeat teenage pregnancy”. The Philippine Information Agency news. Retrieved from
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1029554.  1 November 2019.
13. Philippine Statistics Authority. 2017 Civil Registry and Vital Statistics.
14. Council for the Welfare of Children, & UNICEF Philippines. Executive Summary of National Baseline Study on Violence against Children:
Philippines. Retrieved from: https://www.unicef.org/philippines/media/491/file. 2016.
15. WHO Media Centre. Adolescent Pregnancy Fact Sheet. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs364/en. Updated
September 2014.
16. Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health.Retrieved from: 
http://www.searo.who.int/entity/child_adolescent/topics/adolescent_health/adolescent_sexual_reproductive/en.
17. Christofides, N.J., Jewkes, R.K., Dunkle, K.L., Nduna, M., Shai, N.J. and Sterk, C. Early adolescent pregnancy increases risk of incident HIV
infection in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: a longitudinal study. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 17: 18585.
doi:10.7448/IAS.17.1.18585. 2014
18. Philippines Statistic Authority (PSA) and ICF. Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey 2017. Quezon City, Philippines and
Rockville, Maryland, USA: PSA and ICF. 2018
19. UNICEF, Child Protection Network and CWC Systematic Literature Review on Drivers of Violence. 2015
20. Melgar, J. L. D., Melgar, A. R., Festin, M. P. R., Hoopes, A. J., & Chandra-Mouli, V. Assessment of country policies affecting reproductive health
for adolescents in the Philippines. Reproductive Health, 15(1), 205. 2018
21. UNESCO Young People and the Law in Asia and the Pacific: A Review of Laws and Policies Affecting Young People’s Access to Sexual and
Reproductive Health and HIV services. 2013.
22. UNESCO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN WOMEN, & WHO.International technical guidance on sexuality education: An evidence-informed
approach (2nd revised ed.). Retrieved from: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000260770. 2018
23. Melgar, J. L. D., Melgar, A. R., Festin, M. P. R., Hoopes, A. J., & Chandra-Mouli, V. Assessment of country policies affecting reproductive health
for adolescents in the Philippines. Reproductive Health, 15(1), 205. 2018
24. Ibid
25. UNESCO Young People and the Law in Asia and the Pacific: A Review of Laws and Policies Affecting Young People’s Access to Sexual and
Reproductive Health and HIV services. 2013.Department of Health and Commission on Population. 3rd Annual Report on the
Implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012. April 2017
26. ibid
27. Demographic Research and Development Foundation, Inc and UP Population Institute. Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YASS)
2013. 2016
28. ibid
29. ibid
30. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Girlhood, Not Motherhood: Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy. New York. 2017.
31. Department of Health and Commission on Population. 3rd Annual Report on the Implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and
Reproductive Health Act of 2012. April 2017
32. UNFPA. Adolescent pregnancy. Retrieved from: https://www.unfpa.org/adolescent-pregnancy. Last update: 19 May 2017.
33. UNFPA. State of the World Population 2019. Retrieved from: https://philippines.unfpa.org/en/publications/state-world-population-2019-2.
April 2019
34. United Nations. Joint General Comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members
of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of children
in the context of international migration in countries of origin, transit, destination and return. Retrieved from: https://documents-dds-
ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G17/343/65/PDF/G1734365.pdf?OpenElement. 2017
35. Ibid
36. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Center for Health Solutions and Innovations (CHSI): Sex at the Dinner Table: Are Filipino
Parents Ready to Talk with their Teens about Sex? 2016
37. UNFPA. The Longitudinal Cohort Study of the Filipino Child. Wave 2 Final Survey Report. 2017
38. Kapit Kamay: Empowering The Youth To Make Informed Choices. The 2019 Declaration on Addressing the Education, Health and
Development Issues of Early Pregnancy. PICC, Pasay City, Philippines. 2019