A children's welfare group on Friday aired its alarm about the 35 percent increase in pregnancies among children aged 10 to 14 in the Philippines.

To address this alarming trend, Save the Children Philippines (SCP), called on families and the government to join forces in educating the children about their rights and reproductive health.

In 2022, the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) documented 3,135 cases of adolescent pregnancies among young girls, showing a 35 percent increase from the 2,320 cases recorded in 2021.

The PSA also noted a concerning upward trend in teenage pregnancies under the age of 15 since 2017 and since then, the Philippines continued to have one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Asia.

"We call upon the government to prioritize comprehensive access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, conduct massive awareness-raising campaigns, and strengthen health systems to safeguard the safety and well-being of our children," SCP Technical Adviser for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Shebama Alqaseer said.

As International Women's Day approaches, Alqaseer said she hopes to draw attention to early and unintended pregnancies among young girls.

"We encourage parents to engage in open and healthy conversations with their children about sexuality and reproductive health to empower them to make informed choices," Alqaseer added.

SCP attributed the rising prevalence of adolescent pregnancy to early sexual debut; limited access to comprehensive sex information and education; inadequate communication skills among parents; lack of access to family planning services; cultural practices that encourage early union; and absence of adolescent sexuality and reproductive health policies and its full-implementation.