The Population Commission (POPCOM) is worried about the country’s ballooning teenage pregnancies. Every year, there are 200,000 such cases in the Philippines, says the POPCOM, and of this number, more than 33,000 are repeated teenage pregnancy. The agency labels repeated conception as national emergency because apart from the adverse effects of young parenthood to teenagers, there are also economic downturns like meager income of teenage mothers. The country losses PHP33 billion in income due to such pregnancy. With these negative implications, several proposals are forwarded and gaining ground ranging from provision of support to young mothers, to amendment to the family planning law.
