Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 8) — The Philippines has recorded a 7% increase in births among girls aged 15 and below in 2020, up from the figure on teenage pregnancies in 2019, the Commission on Population and Development said over the weekend.

In a statement on Sunday, PopCom cited the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority which revealed that Filipino minors who gave birth in 2019 increased to 62,510 from 62,341 in 2018.

This is the ninth consecutive year that the country has reported a rise in teenage pregnancies, PopCom warned.

"In 2019, 2,411 girls considered as very young adolescents aged 10 to 14 gave birth, or almost seven every day. This was a three-fold increase from 2000, when only 755 from the said age group gave birth," the commission said.

It added that one in three births among minors occurred in the three regions of Calabarzon with 8,008, National Capital Region with 7,546 and Central Luzon with 7,523 births.

Outside Luzon, the highest number of minors who gave birth were in Northern Mindanao with 4,747 cases, Davao Region with 4,551, and Central Visayas with 4,541.

Population and Development Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez III said they are coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the teenage pregnancy reduction program as part of the government's roadmap to reduce poverty.

He added that a "whole-of-government approach" will be applied with the help of the private sector, local government units, relevant government agencies and other development partners to tackle the issue.

"PopCom and DSWD, together with other agencies, are looking forward to roll out this social protection program this year," PopCom said.

“These adolescents have no decision-making power, economic independence, autonomy, and are considered by many countries as powerless; they face greater risks of repeat pregnancies and are vulnerable to gender-based violence as well as intergenerational poverty during and as a result of their early childbearing,” Perez said in his speech during the Youth Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council on April 7, World Health Day.

A combined study by the University of the Philippines and the United Nations Population Fund revealed a 42-percent increase in unintended pregnancies and 67-percent hike in unmet family planning needs among Filipino women, with one out of 10 of them still in their teens.

Perez said PopCom would push for the protection of teenage parents, especially those who had become first time parents during the pandemic. He underscored that the youth’s access to information and services on sexual and reproductive health is guaranteed by the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012.

Perez also urged other countries to implement a societal approach to the problem where adolescents are considered as vulnerable members of the community. He said the ideal approach must include multidimensional sources of protection, such as social safety nets, social insurance, social assistance and provision of livelihood in labor markets.

“These elements will ensure young people everywhere will have meaningful participation and safe spaces during these times, as the pandemic unleashes a host of challenges to be collectively met. We believe that a strong and sustainable recovery is possible only if our young citizens are reached and included in this process,” Perez said.