The 2022 civil registry statistics results released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed a disturbing surge in the recorded live births among adolescents in the Mimaropa region. There was an increase in childbirth cases, especially among 10–14-year-old girls. The record shows a significant rise from 63 live births in 2020 to a staggering 94 live births in 2022 for the said age group.

Overall, there were 94 live births among very young girls aged 10–14 years, and 4,516 documented live births within the 15–19 age group in Mimaropa, accounting for 4,610, or 3.07 percent, of the country's total adolescent birth rate. However, Mimaropa’s registered live births are significantly lower than the three neighboring regions with the highest recorded data, namely, Calabarzon (19,018 live births), Central Luzon (17,107 live births), and National Capital Region (12,540 live births).

Among the five provinces, Palawan recorded 1,484 live births among 10–19-year-old girls; Oriental Mindoro 1,448 live births, followed by Occidental Mindoro with 788, Romblon with 422, and Marinduque with 288. Meanwhile, the highly urbanized City of Puerto Princesa has registered a total of 180 live births, the only local government unit (LGU) in the region that posed a decrease in recorded live births when compared to the 2021 data.

“The glaring statistics demand immediate and concerted action and intervention. The rise in adolescent live births not only poses a threat to the well-being of a young mother but also underscores the urgency to pass the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill pending in Congress,” Commission on Population and Development (CPD) Mimaropa Regional Director Reynaldo O. Wong said.

The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act, or House Bill 8910, which the House Representatives passed in September 2023, plays a pivotal role in addressing the root causes of adolescent pregnancies. This proposed legislation aims to implement comprehensive programs that promote culturally sensitive, age- and developmentally-appropriate comprehensive adolescent sexuality education and circumstantial access to reproductive health services. Additionally, it seeks to establish support systems for young parents.

"As we await the bill's enactment, the LGUs and regional line agencies in the region are intensifying their efforts to implement various devolved strategies and interventions to advance adolescent health and development,” Wong concluded. (CPD MIMAROPA)