Philippines losing P33 billion yearly to teenage pregnancy – UNFPA

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is losing P33 billion in potential income yearly due to problems brought by teenage pregnancy, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

During the launch of the Joint Program on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy in the Philippines on Monday, UNFPA country representative Leila Joudane said the figure was based on a study that the agency conducted in the country recently.

Joudane said adolescent pregnancy affects the life cycle as well as the cycle of poverty.

“Adolescents who get pregnant usually drop out of school. When they do, they have fewer chances of becoming active and productive members of society,” Joudane said.

She said these girls would earn less than those who continued and finished their studies.

“Teenage girls who get pregnant and do not finish high school may lose earnings of up to P83,000 per year,” Joudane said.

In a speech read during the event held in Tacloban, Leyte, Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the UNFPA study showed that adolescent mothers who did not finish high school or college are more likely to become unemployed or poor.

“Adolescent pregnancy is also an important social issue. It often results in poor lifelong social and economic outcomes for both the adolescent mother and her child,” Vergeire said.

She said that adolescent pregnancy remains an issue, especially among disadvantaged groups.