Adolescent pregnancies drop 10% during pandemic – PopCom

MANILA, Philippines — Pregnancies among adolescents aged 10 to 17 have “significantly dropped” by 10 percent from 2019 to 2020, the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) said yesterday.

According to PopCom executive director Juan Antonio Perez III, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) had registered 62,510 live births among 10- to 17-year-old mothers in 2019.

This is 6,082 or 10 percent higher than the 56,428 live births recorded in 2020.

Perez said all regions exhibited declines in numbers, with the National Capital Region (NCR) having the “most pronounced decrease” at 1,004 or from 7,536 in 2019, to 6,532 in 2020, a 13 percent drop.

NCR was followed by Calabarzon from 8,008 to 7,166 live births or a difference of 842 births and Zamboanga peninsula from 2,574 to 2,139 or a decline of 435 births.

At a press briefing in line with PopCom’s 53rd anniversary celebration, Perez noted the “biggest change” in terms of percentage was in Region 9 where there was a 17 percent drop in adolescent birth rates.

It was followed by Davao region, at 14 percent decline from 4,551 to 3,905 in 2019 and 2020.

Perez added the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on adolescent pregnancies as the drop had occurred around December 2020.

“The lowest number of births was when the pandemic had effectively curbed adolescent fertility because of factors like the closing down of face-to-face classes and the lockdowns,” he said.

The official also credited PopCom’s “unrelenting collaboration with government agencies, local government units, like-minded partners and stakeholders in upholding the welfare of Filipino youth, especially those who started to have families at a young age.”