The Philippines has recorded a rise in pregnancies among young teens and preteen girls, even as the number of pregnancies among girls aged 15 to 19 declines.

According to data cited by the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), the percentage of Filipino girls aged 15 to 19 who have had children shrunk from 8.6% in 2017 to 5.4% in 2022.

However, live births among girls aged 10 to 14 rose from 2,411 in 2019 to 3,343 in 2023, according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) civil registration data referenced by the CPD.

"The increase we are seeing is for below 15. That is where we should be alarmed," Lisa Grace Bersales, a Filipino statistician and CPD undersecretary, told DW.

She described the growth among the youngest age group as exponential, warning that the rate of pregnancy among 10 to 14-year-olds required urgent attention.

"We never thought we would have to talk to our girls and boys below 15 about sexual behavior leading to pregnancy," she said.

Teenage pregnancies account for about 2% of all registered births in the Philippines, Bersales said, stressing that even a small percentage can signal deep vulnerabilities.

Why younger teens face higher risk

Bersales pointed to social media as a contributing factor to the uneven figures across age groups.

"I believe one of the main reasons is that our children now are more digital. They are exposed to social media," she said.

However, she cautioned against oversimplifying the issue.

"This requires a whole-of-society approach, the family, schools, local government units, civil society, faith-based groups. We must be systematic in talking to our children about protecting themselves," she added. 

One government response has been the establishment of centers focusing on teen issues by local government units (LGUs) — giving adolescents spaces where they can ask questions about possible health interventions.

As of May 2025, 84% of LGUs had reported establishing such centers, Bersales said, noting that this showed progress.

Still, rise in pregnancies among girls under 15 raises questions about whether these centers are functioning as intended.

"We are continuing to refine the indicator," Bersales acknowledged. "Establishment is one thing. Functionality is another."

Daughters of overseas workers at risk

The Philippines' region of Northern Mindanao has one of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in the country.

The 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey reported that approximately 10.9% of girls aged 15–19 in the region have begun to have children. It's the highest rate among all regions in the country.

In rural and geographically isolated areas, access to information and services is limited, and a culture of silence about sexuality discourages open conversations within families.

Bersales also highlighted the vulnerability of daughters of Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) parents.

"Studying the situation of daughters left behind by OFW mothers is very important work that we need to do," she said, citing risks including sexual exploitation.

In addition, legal constraints further complicate pregnancy prevention efforts in the Philippines.

Under the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, minors generally require written consent from a parent or guardian to access modern family planning services — except in specific limited circumstances, such as when the minor is already a parent or has had a miscarriage.

'I was afraid'

Seventeen-year-old Jenny* from Tanay, a municipality in Rizal province located just east of Manila, gave birth two months ago. She is now finishing high school through modular, offline learning.

Her partner works as an agricultural laborer, taking on any available job.

When she discovered she was pregnant, she said she felt "nervous and scared because I had to tell my parents. I was afraid."

Despite this, she remains determined and driven to follow her dream of becoming a teacher.

"Sometimes my studies get neglected. My grades go down," she said.

"What I really want is to finish school… and I want to keep going," she told DW.

Young men also have their lives changed by becoming parents.

Eman*, an 18-year-old from Santa Maria, a municipality in the Philippines' southeastern Laguna province, is the father to an 8-month-old daughter. He divides his days between childcare and working in a noodle house.

The young man feels he disappointed his own father by becoming a father himself while still in school.

"I felt so much pressure in life, about my career, about my dreams," he told DW, referring to his ambitions to attend college.

"I didn't even know what to do because I'm still so young," he added.

He eventually completed high school but decided not to pursue further education.

"I won't be going to college anymore … as time goes by, my child is growing up, and I need to be there," he said, explaining that he chose to work instead. 

"This isn't the right path. It was truly an accident and nothing about this was planned," Eman added.

Sex education in schools comes 'too late'

Both Eman and Jenny said their schools offered only limited discussions about reproductive health.

"The gap lies in not providing a deeper understanding of sex, teenage pregnancy, and early motherhood," Jenny said.

She emphasized she had discussions about sex during high school, but none during junior high school.

Eman agrees that sex education classes for older high school students had more important information.

"When it was finally taught, it was already too late for us," Eman said.

While the Philippines' Department of Education has initiatives on comprehensive sexual education, Bersales acknowledged that some teachers feel uncomfortable delivering the material due to personal beliefs.

"We need to make our teachers confident," she said, highlighting that proper training, as well as removing stereotypes, taboos and stigmas, are important tools to allow educators to deliver the message in the right way.

*Eman and Jenny's names have been changed to protect their identities 

Edited by: Keith Walker