As the excessive and non-stop use of social media has been deemed one of the reasons for the ballooning number of teenage pregnancies in the country, Malacañang on Wednesday said they are studying proposals to limit social media use by minors.
“That’s a good suggestion, but we have to study it further,” said Palace press officer, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro, in a Palace briefing.
“We need to study it because social media has both positive and negative effects on us. If it can help our youth, we will look into it so that any suggestions they provide can be implemented,” Castro said.
On Tuesday, Mylin Mirasol Quiray, the Information, Management, and Communications Division chief of the Commission on Population and Development, expressed alarm at the rising number of 10 to 14-year-old girls getting pregnant.
To date, 3,560 girls aged 10 to 14 have become instant mothers, up from 3,343 in 2023.
As of February 2026, Senators Panfilo Lacson, Imee Marcos, Raffy Tulfo and Camille Villar have filed bills to restrict or regulate social media access for minors to mitigate mental health risks, cyberbullying and addiction.
Proposed age bans range from 12 to 18 years old, with key proposals including mandatory age verification, parental consent, and potential liability for platforms.
On the other hand, the Department of Health (DoH) said 51 percent of pregnancies in the country are unplanned, with 30 percent occurring among adolescents.
With this, Castro said they have reached out to the DoH, which assured that sex education for teenagers and adolescents is being initiated.
“We spoke with the DoH, and they said there is now sex education being conducted that complies with the law and respects our culture. There are also adolescent health services that our youth can access. Parental permission is not required, except for certain treatments or recommended medications. These services are free and young people can consult at any time,” Castro said.
Apart from this, Castro said they have asked the Department of Social Welfare and Development to intervene in the issue.