Philippines Faces Alarming Rise in Pregnancies Among Girls Under 15 Even as Older Teen Rates Decline

The Philippines is confronting a deeply troubling paradox in adolescent health: even as teen pregnancies among girls aged 15 to 19 steadily decline, the number of children under 15 giving birth is climbing at an alarming rate, exposing gaps in education, child protection, and healthcare access that advocates say demand immediate government action.

According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority cited by the Commission on Population and Development, live births among girls aged 10 to 14 rose from 2,411 in 2019 to 3,343 in 2023 . That represents a roughly 39 percent increase over four years in a demographic that, by any measure, should not be experiencing pregnancy at all. In 2023 alone, 38 girls under 15 experienced multiple pregnancies, and 17 women under 20 had given birth five or more times How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer..

The broader picture offers some encouragement. The percentage of Filipino girls aged 15 to 19 who had begun childbearing fell from 8.6 percent in 2017 to 5.4 percent in 2022, according to CPD figures . But Lisa Grace Bersales, a statistician and CPD undersecretary, told DW there is no contradiction between the two trends. "The decrease is for ages 15 to 19, both in percentage and in actual numbers," she said. "The increase we are seeing is for below 15. That is where we should be alarmed" How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer..

Bersales described the growth among the youngest cohort as exponential. Teenage pregnancies account for about 2 percent of all registered births nationwide, she noted, but even that small share signals deep vulnerabilities. "We never thought we would have to talk to our girls and boys below 15 about sexual behavior leading to pregnancy," she said How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer..

The human cost is visible in communities across the archipelago. Eman, an 18-year-old father from Santa Maria in Laguna province, told DW he once dreamed of earning a diploma but felt he had disappointed his family after becoming a parent while still in school. "I felt so much pressure in life, about my career, about my dreams. I didn't even know what to do because I'm still so young," he said How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer.. He completed senior high school but chose work over college to support his eight-month-old daughter.

Jenny, a 17-year-old from Tanay in Rizal province, gave birth two months ago and is finishing school through modular offline learning. "Sometimes my studies get neglected. My grades go down," she recalled. Despite the challenges, she remains determined to become a teacher. "What I really want is to finish school, and I want to keep going," she told DW How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer..

Both young parents said reproductive health education at school came too late. "When it was finally taught, it was already too late for us," Eman said. Jenny added that she received no such instruction during junior high school, "where curiosity sometimes starts" How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer..

Government officials acknowledge the structural shortcomings. Bersales pointed to digital exposure and social media as contributing factors to early sexual activity among the youngest adolescents. "I believe one of the main reasons is that our children now are more digital. They are exposed to social media," she said, while cautioning against oversimplifying the issue How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer..

One policy response has been the establishment of teen health centers by local government units. As of May 2025, 84 percent of LGUs reported having established such centers, which Bersales called progress . But the continued rise in under-15 pregnancies raises questions about whether those facilities are functioning effectively. "Establishment is one thing. Functionality is another," she acknowledged How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer..

The Philippines' Northern Mindanao region illustrates the geographic dimension of the crisis. The 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey found that approximately 10.9 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 in the region had begun childbearing, the highest rate among all Philippine regions How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer.. In rural and geographically isolated areas, access to information and healthcare services remains limited, and cultural norms around sexuality discourage open family conversations.

Bersales also highlighted a less-discussed vulnerability: daughters of Overseas Filipino Worker parents who are left behind with relatives or extended family. "Studying the situation of daughters left behind by OFW mothers is very important work that we need to do," she said, citing risks of sexual exploitation How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer..

Legal constraints add another layer of complexity. Under the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, minors generally require written parental consent to access modern family planning services, except in limited circumstances such as when the minor is already a parent or has experienced a miscarriage How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer.. Critics argue this provision effectively bars the most vulnerable young people from the services they most urgently need.

The CPD has called for a whole-of-society approach involving families, schools, local governments, civil society, and faith-based organizations. Bersales stressed the need for better teacher training on comprehensive sexuality education, noting that some educators remain uncomfortable delivering the material. "We need to make our teachers confident," she said, emphasizing the importance of removing stereotypes, taboos, and stigma from the classroom How teen pregnancy is shifting in the Philippinesdw.com·SecondaryAmid the Valentine's Day celebrations in the Philippines, declining teen pregnancies among older girls contrast sharply with rising cases among those under 15. Images of romance and young love fill social media feeds, restaurants, and shopping malls across the Philippines. Some local groups also use the season to distribute condoms and awareness flyers. However, behind the festivities lies a more complicated reality as national data show a worrying pattern behind the romantic veneer..

The challenge facing the Philippines is not unique in Southeast Asia, where conservative social norms and uneven access to reproductive healthcare persist across multiple countries. But the sharpness of the divergence — older teen pregnancies falling while the youngest girls face rising risk — suggests that whatever progress the country has made in reaching adolescents aged 15 to 19 is not translating downward. For children under 15, the safety net remains full of holes.