PMS President Agnes Lourdes Fernando said Pampanga is not exempt from the worldwide trend in teenage pregnancy explosion involving younger teenagers.
Fernando and Dr. Ma. Victoria Alfaro of The Medical City in this freeport both agreed that to a significant extent, Internet pornography could be blamed for this development. A report of the UNFPA- Philippines office said teen pregnancies in the country rose by 70 percent in a span of 10 years from 114,205 in 1999 to 195,662 in 2009.
PMS has expressed concern over reports that the figures significantly rose since 2009 amid better access to the Internet by cheaper smart phones.
Globally, 14-16 million adolescent girls between 15 and 19 years old give birth every year and pregnancy-related deaths are the leading cause of death for girls at such young ages.
Benjamin de Leon, president of the Forum for Family Planning and Development, an NGO working on adolescent health issues, expressed alarm that almost 10 percent of all Filipino women aged 15-19 have already given birth. “This is a reality that we must address, he said.
There is an urgency for all sectors “to work together to help address adolescent reproductive health issues and teen pregnancy because of the health and economic implications to the country,” he said. “A high rate of teen pregnancy also means a high risk for maternal deaths among our young girls.”
Carmelita Ericta, administrator of the National Statistics Office (NSO) has been quoted to have noted “an increasing trend of maternal deaths among teenagers.”
“The proportion of maternal deaths doubled from 5 percent to 10 percent between 2000 and 2010. The number of babies born to teenage mothers also increased from 7.1 percent to 11 percent,” she said.
NSO data also show that 13-14 percent of all registered marriages are among teenagers below 20 years old while data from the National Youth Commission show that the rate of teen pregnancy in the country is among the highest in the ASEAN region and the only country where the rate is increasing.
In Cebu province, officials have blamed overexposure to the Internet and social media for the increase in incidence of teenage pregnancies and in the number of youth engaging in pre-marital sex.
Cebu Provincial Board Member Miguel Magpale has thus proposed a measure regulating Internet access in the province. His proposal was titled “Ordinance Regulating Internet Access as Deterrence Against Pornographic Exposure Related to Addiction, Violence and Absenteeism.”
