At least 400 civil society organizations and government agencies on Thursday called on the Senate to urgently pass the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Bill to prevent children from having children.

The period of interpellation of Senate Bill 1979 which started in August 2024 and the groups — led by Philippine Legislator’s Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc. (PLCPD) — said that with the delay on the passage of such bill, many young girls remain vulnerable to sexual abuse, infections, high-risk pregnancies and mental health struggles.

Kabataan Party-list Representative Raoul Danniel Manuel, author of the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill, urged the Senate to pass its counterpart bill so that the comprehensive sexuality education has not yet been fully appreciated.

Manuel said that the attempts underscore the importance of passing this bill into law coupled with information dissemination on comprehensive sexuality education for the youth.

“It is possible that in the soonest possible time the Senate will pass its counterpart bill and will undergo the Bicameral Conference Committee and later on passed into law during the 19th Congress,” Manuel said.

Dr. Dexter Galban, Education Assistant Secretary for Operations, said that comprehensive sexuality education is not only about education meant to educate the schoolchildren on “what to touch and what not to touch.”

Galban cited that roughly 33 percent of teenage pregnancy is repeat pregnancy, saying that the Department of Education (DepEd) is investing heavily on alternative learning mode to ensure continuity of education.

“One teenage pregnancy is one too many pregnancy. Even one teenage pregnancy is too much,” Galban said. “In 2019, the NEDA declared a National Social Emergency on Teenage Pregnancy, which was partly eclipsed by the pandemic.”

Meantime, Mylin Mirasol Quiray, head of the knowledge management and communications division of the Commission on Population and Development, said that they joined the more than 400 civil society organizations and government agencies in calling on the Senate to pass this bill the soonest possible time.

Citing a Department of Health data, girls who get pregnant between the ages of 10-19 years old have a higher risk of dying.

Judy Miranda, secretary-general of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking, cited that teenage pregnancy is not only prevalent in the movies, but is now a “common thing” in the youth today.

“We are 14-million strong workers who are struggling to survive. We are fighting against the teenage pregnancy. We are one in calling for the passage of the Teenage Prevention Bill now,” Miranda said.