Advocacy group Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) commends Senator Risa Hontiveros and Akbayan Partylist Representatives Perci Cendaña, Chel Diokno, and Dadah Kiram Ismula, and Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao for filing anew the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Bill in the 20th Congress.
The Akbayan bill, House Bill No. 5692, was filed on October 27, while Senator Hontiveros’ bill was filed last July 10, 2025. Similar bills were earlier filed by Representatives Krisel Lagman (1st District, Albay), Michael Carlos Dy (5th District, Isabela), Paolo Ortega (1st District, La Union), and Renee Co (Kabataan Partylist) and Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers Partylist).
Together with other civil society organizations, champion legislators and advocates are having renewed hope that the bill, which is more than a decade in the making, will finally be passed into law.
“We admire the courage and dedication of these legislators in protecting the Filipino children and youth, especially girls, from early and unintended pregnancies, sexual abuse, and sexually transmitted infections such as HIV,” said Au Quilala, Executive Director of PLCPD.
PLCPD is the Convenor of the Child Rights Network (CRN), the largest alliance of organizations and government agencies advocating for child rights laws. Teen Pregnancy Prevention is one of the primary advocacies of CRN.
The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Bill will institutionalize a data-driven and evidence- and rights-based strategy to end the national social emergency of teen pregnancy – as declared by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), now Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDEV), in 2019:
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Age- and development-appropriate Comprehensive Adolescent Sexuality Education
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Protection against gender-based violence
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Access of youth to reproductive health services, including modern family planning, to prevent teen pregnancies and repeat teen pregnancies
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Social protection (continuing education, health services, livelihood) for teen parents and their children
“The bill is a product of comprehensive consultations with children and young people, non-government organizations, including faith-based groups, legislators, the academe, local government units, and stakeholders in education and health who are united in aspiring for a future where there are no more children having children,” said Quilala.
The Philippines still has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancies in Southeast Asia. But what’s more disturbing is the data in the 10-14 bracket, wherein the number of children born to 10 to 14-year-old girls has been increasing. In 2023, it went up to 3,343 children from 3,135 in 2022 and 2,113 in 2020.
“The number of very young girls getting pregnant is not even the saddest story. Data shows that most of these pregnancies may involve statutory rape, as the men who impregnated the girls were practically adults or significantly older than them,” said Quilala.
“We hope that the legislators will unite in protecting our children, especially girls, and pass the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Bill. To the 20th Congress: Listen to evidence and heed the people’s call. The Philippines is losing P33 billion yearly in potential income because many girls are forced to drop out of school and miss economic opportunities.”
“Let’s help Filipino girls and boys reach their dreams and full potential. Let us pass the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Bill now!” ended Quilala.
