Advocates reiterate need for anti-teen pregnancy bill

The Child Rights Network (CRN) on Monday reiterated that the proposed Senate Bill (SB) 1979 or the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2025 is "needed" and should not be a controversial matter.

This after Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said Sunday that he is not keen on supporting the proposed measure despite the rising trend of teenage pregnancies in the country.

Herbosa noted that sex education is part of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act or the RH Law that also provides for universal access to methods of contraception.

“[Sex education] is already there so we just need to implement RH Law correctly,” Herbosa said in a radio interview.

"What’s important is educating our citizens that the real problems are unplanned pregnancies and the rising maternal deaths due to childbirth," he added.

The CRN, however, argued that SB 1979 is intended as a complementary law to address gaps in the RH Law, and to strengthen the comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), as well as institutionalize social protection for teen parents and their children.

Under SB 1979, the CRN explained, CSE will also cover out-of-school youth, not just children in formal schools; it will also expand the involvement and training of parents, teachers, and other implementers of CSE; include training of health workers in the provision of health services that are free of stigma and discrimination; and ensure support to teen parents to complete their education.

Moreover, the proposed measure also seeks to ensures access of youth and teen parents to health services within the bounds of our existing laws and to offer support to teen parents to help them earn a living.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority revealed that 2,113 babies were born to mothers under 15 in 2020.

This figure rose to 2,320 in 2021 and further to 3,135 in 2022.

Amid controversies and oppositions, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros introduced last week a substitute bill to SB 1979 with amendments addressing concerns about CSE.