CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) -- The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) raises alarm as Central Luzon ranks first nationwide in terms of pregnancies among adolescents below 15 years old. 
 
Based on the 2022 Civil Registry and Vital Statistics data, births among 10 to 14-year-olds in the region totaled 409, making up 33.66 percent of all cases in the country.  
 
CPD Regional Director Lourdes Nacionales disclosed that the region also remained second in terms of adolescents 10 to 19 years old who are getting pregnant with a total of 17,107 cases, contributing 11.4 percent to the nationwide tally. 
 
“These figures are very alarming, especially with the rising incidence of pregnancies among 10 to 14-year-olds because these are very young girls who are supposed to be in school,” she said.
 
Bulacan has the highest number of teenage pregnancy cases in Central Luzon with 4,613. It was followed by Pampanga with 4,199 cases; Nueva Ecija with 3,495 cases; Tarlac with 1,825 cases; Bataan with 1,336 cases; Zambales with 1,238 cases; and Aurora with 401 cases. 
 
Nacionales warned of the health risks associated with getting pregnant at a very young age because the bodies of teenage mothers are not yet suitable or ready to carry a child in the womb. 
 
“When the mother is not healthy, the child she carries will be unhealthy as well. There is a tendency for both the mother and child to be malnourished because the reproductive system of our young women is not ready to get pregnant. This can also lead to maternal and child mortality,” she warned. 
 
CPD added that teenage pregnancy also has an impact on the socio-economic aspect since most of these cases come from poor households. 
 
“If the teen comes from a poor family, it means she will suffer even more because pregnancy and raising a child requires proper care and nutrition. If she is poor, she will not be able to afford proper nutrition,” Nacionales said. 
 
In response, CPD works with members of the Regional Development Council Special Regional Committee on Population and Development to harmonize initiatives for the prevention of teenage pregnancy in Central Luzon.
 
Among the committee's ongoing initiatives include a partnership with the Department of Education in the integration of Comprehensive Sexuality Education, the adoption of The Challenge Initiative for Adolescent Youth Friendly Cities, and the Special Protection Program for Adolescent Mothers and their Children.
 
Also, there is a partnership with the Department of Health in the establishment of Adolescent Friendly Health Facilities, and establishment of Information and Service Delivery Network Teen Centers.
 
CPD also collaborates with different national government agencies (NGAs) and local government units (LGUs) to prioritize the implementation of evidence-based interventions that will empower young people with accurate information on their sexual and reproductive health.
 
It also partners with NGAs and LGUs in the creation of policies that will help build multi-sectoral strategies to curb the prevalence of teenage pregnancies and foster supportive environments where young people feel comfortable seeking guidance and support regarding their sexual health. (CLJD/MJSC-PIA 3)