House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago on Thursday warned that worsening economic conditions might deepen adolescent pregnancy problems that could further worsen without urgent government intervention.
Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Elago said 138,697 births in 2024 were to mothers aged 10 to 19, including 3,612 among girls below 15, as repeated oil price hikes trigger rising prices of basic goods and services.
She also cited the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), which showed a stark economic gap: 10.3 percent of young women aged 15–19 in the poorest households had experienced pregnancy, compared to 1.8 percent in the wealthiest.
Elago called for immediate economic relief, including wage increases, price controls on basic goods, and support for low-income households.
She also noted that the Makabayan bloc has filed House Bill 8765 to place diesel and gasoline under automatic price freeze and caps to help curb rising fuel costs.
“Poverty remains the main reason for the increase in adolescent pregnancies,” she said, adding that several of the teenage pregnancies involved older men.
“Amid the continued rise in commodity prices and successive oil price hikes, these cases are expected to increase further if the economic crisis and child protection are not immediately addressed,” she added.
Under Republic Act 11648, enacted in 2022 and principally authored by Gabriela Women’s Party, sexual relations with individuals below 16 years old are considered rape.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Gabriela: Economy in crisis fueling rise in adolescent pregnancies”
