EDITORIAL - Child mothers

A 14-year-old girl should be starting to chart her future, dreaming of what she wants to become and pursuing that dream.

For thousands of girls in the country, however, pursuing any dream and attaining their full potential will have to take a backseat to raising their own children.

As of the latest government data, 3,612 girls aged 14 and younger were recorded to have given birth across the country in 2024. The Commission on Population and Development, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, noted that the number was higher than the 3,324 cases recorded in 2023.

Particularly alarming for the CPD was that two of the young mothers were only 10 years old when they gave birth. That’s just the onset of adolescence.

At age 10, a girl will typically be in fifth grade. With pregnancy and the demands of motherhood, she will likely stop schooling and may never make it to high school.

Undereducation means limited opportunities for advancement in life. What future awaits both mother and child? Will the father be responsible for raising the child, or have the means to support his young family?

The population commission attributes the rising cases of adolescent pregnancy to child sexual abuse and exploitation as well as the lack of information on reproductive health. The country is a global hotspot for online abuse and sexual exploitation of children. Often driven by poverty, it’s not unusual for the principal exploiters to be the parents or guardians themselves of the victims.

An Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill has been filed in the current Congress, and the CPD is hoping for its passage. Among other things, the bill proposes social protection programs for adolescent parents and their families, integrated service delivery networks and adolescent-friendly health services.

The CPD also proposes the institutionalization of an age-appropriate comprehensive reproductive health education program. The criticism that such a program will promote promiscuity does not wash; all types of sexual content are easily accessible on social media. What’s lacking are lessons on reproductive health and responsible parenthood.

Filipino women have broken many glass ceilings and shown what they can achieve. Adolescent mothers risk losing the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

As CPD executive director Lisa Grace Bernales put it: “Preventing adolescent pregnancy is about protecting the future of young Filipinas – ensuring that they can become the leaders, professionals and changemakers our nation needs.”