PopCom eyes zero repeat teen pregnancy cases

Some 30,000 out of the 190,000 or 1 in 6 teenagers give birth twice or thrice during adolescence. #teenpregnancy

The Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) and other government agencies will come up with a formula to eliminate repeat pregnancy for teenagers to reduce the high number of adolescent birth rates across the country.

“Nakatutok din kami sa teen pregnancy, actually ang usapan namin sa cabinet with DSWD, DoH at iba pang agency gagawa kami ng roadmap on teen pregnancies how to reduce by 50 percent at maging zero yun repeat pregnancy, yun umuulit teenager ka nagbubuntis ka uli ng twice or thrice,” PopCom executive director Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez 3rd said at the sidelines of the 2019 National Kaunlarang Pantao Awards at the Chardonnay by Astoria in Pasig City on Thursday.

The PopCom said it is concerned about the rising number of teenage pregnancy in the country and believes that a more “aggressive information and awareness campaign” is needed to fully address adolescent pregnancy with the help of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DoH), and other government agencies.

Some 30,000 out of the 190,000 or 1 in 6 teenagers give birth twice or thrice during adolescence, according to Perez.

“Meron ako nakita sa Cagayan de Oro walo na anak pero teenager pa rin sya,” Perez said.

The PopCom head said the Department of Education (DepEd) plays an important role in addressing adolescent pregnancy in the country.

“Yung overall teen pregnancy mahalaga dun ang DepEd tumulong magbigay ng comprehensive sexual education, ‘yun nasa RH (Reproductive Heath) Law, i-implement lang nila yun,” Perez said.

“Gusto sana namin maabot yun repeat pregnancy among teenagers through family planning in hospital na program, kasi sa ngayon ang mga hospital walang malakas na programa sa family planning yet lahat ng teenager dun nanganganak. Required ng batas na manganak ka sa ospital pag teenager ka, di ka pwedeng manganak sa lying in clinic, so lahat sila pupunta ng ospital. We should take advantage of that, so we are trying na bumuo ng programa with DoH and local government for their hospital na sana mag-offer sila ng family planning,” he explained.

As regards to sex education, Perez said the education department is trying hard to implement this by next school year.

“Kaya lang ang problema nila one and a half years ago na-approve ‘yun guidelines, so 2018. So after ma-approve ‘yun guidelines gagawa ka ng module, gagawa ka ng material, tapos iti-train mo ‘yun teachers kaya medyo mahabang proseso. Nandun palang sila sa preparations,” he said.

“There are 42,000 schools and you want to implement a program like that, malaking trabaho talaga ‘yan and you have 500,000 teachers. Hindi naman siguro lahat but a good number have to be trained on family planning,” said Perez.