(AP File Photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is the “gold medalist” in teenage pregnancies among its regional neighbors, according to a Commission on Population and Development (CPD) official on Wednesday.
Acting CPD Knowledge Management and Communication Division chief Mylin Mirasol Quiray lamented the high number of teenage pregnancies in the Philippines, with live teenage birth reaching around 150,000 in 2022.
“We see that the Philippines is a gold medalist in teen pregnancy cases, kasi isa tayo sa mga pinakamataas,” said Quiray during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.
(We see that the Philippines is a gold medalist in teen pregnancy cases, because have the most umber of cases.)
While Quiray did not specify data from other countries in the region, the Philippines has a higher teenage birth rate compared to other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
In 2019, the United Nations Population Fund found that the Philippines has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the Asean region.
Quiray, however, said that the Philippines’ high population rate also contributed to the high number of teenage pregnancies.
According to Quiray, there was a lag in the rate of teenage pregnancies during the COVID-19 pandemic, but surged after pandemic restrictions were lifted.