CWC raises alarm on rising child, adolescent pregnancies

The Council of the Welfare of Children (CWC) raised alarm on the increasing child and adolescent pregnancies.

Citing the National Economic and Development Authority, the CWC called the issue "a national and social emergency."

This as the CWC expressed its support to Senate Bill No. 1979 or the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2023, stressing its need due to the very high cases of violence against children (VAC), including rape.

"According to the Philippine National Police - Women and Child Protection Center (PNP-WCPC), the incidence of VAC continues to increase, while the case of Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) is also intensifying, which the government is actively addressing," it said.

"The CWC agrees, and emphasizes the child protection aspect of this matter. According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), 72% of underage pregnancies are by older men, which may indicate deception, abuse, and exploitation," it added.

In 2022, 150,138 adolescent mothers were recorded, including 3,135 under 15 years of age. 

Although the number dropped to 142,276 in 2023, the number of pregnant women under the age of 15 increased, reaching 3,343.

"Children deserve to learn, play, and enjoy a happy and safe youth. Therefore, the CWC fully supports this bill as a step for more effective protection of the youth," it furthered.

Citing the Sec. 6 of the Senate Bill, the CWC explained that the Department of Education (DepEd) together with various government agencies "will create and promote comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) that is medically accurate, sensitive to different cultures, based on age and rights, and inclusive of LGBTQIA adolescents."

"The purpose of CSE is to teach young students how to make informed decisions and avoid risky behavior that could put them in harm's way," the CWC said.

"We call on everyone to pay attention to the important details of the bill and the truth contained in it. You can hope that its authors are taking steps in line with the principle of child protection."

CWC's statement came after a viral video posted by the Project Dalisay Facebook page under the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution expressed dismay over the legislative push for the CSE program.

The video thumbed down some provisions of the bill, as well as features of the CSE that may “hypersexualize children at a very early age."

The provisions include the mandatory nature of the bill for all public and private schools, discussions of early childhood masturbation in ages 0 to 4, anal and oral sex for ages 16 to 18, and negotiating sexual encounters.

The DepEd defines CSE as an “age-appropriate, culturally relevant" program aimed at teaching sexuality and relationships by providing learners with "scientifically accurate, realistic, and non-judgmental data."

Moreover, Education Secretary Sonny Angara assured the public that no "inappropriate concepts" in the CSE program would be implemented in public schools.