EDITORIAL l The Birth of the Youth’s Future: Why You Should Support Senate Bill No. 1979 (Anti-Teenage Pregnancy Bill)
- Beatrice Geronimo
- Mar 9
- 4 min read
The Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill aims to curb the rising cases of teenage pregnancy through comprehensive sex education and informed guidance. Despite opposition, evidence shows that proper education empowers youth to make responsible choices.
Every baby is a blessing—until their parents are babies themselves. Adolescents are a decade away from fully-developed frontal lobes; they are incapable of fulfilling someone else’s rights of life when they have barely figured out theirs. PSA reports an uptrend of over 3,000 teenage pregnancy cases, calling for a national emergency. The future of the children is at stake. Senator Risa Hontiveros answers with the proposed Senate Bill No. 1979, the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill, also known as Anti-Teenage Pregnancy Bill, addressing the critical need of adolescents for proper education and guidance toward birthing. However, oppositions contend whether its constituents are truly beneficial or detrimental. Until now, while teenage pregnancies rise everyday, an official and concrete solution from the government has yet to be enacted.
At the core, the Philippines is a religious and conservative nation. Its direct consequence neglects the importance of open sexual discussions, connoting such life-essential topics as indecent. For a long time, Filipino youngsters were left to navigate their sexual choices and relationships on their own. In 2012, the Reproductive Health Law (RPRH Law) paved for support in family planning, reproductive and maternal healthcare, sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) awareness and testing, and finally Comprehensive Sexual Education (CSE), encompassing responsible sexual intercourse with the use of accessible contraceptives and birth control. Despite this, one look around the society is evidence that the crisis persists. The increasing rate of teenage pregnancies, alarmingly involving ages under 12, presses for a resolution—necessarily, the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill.
PAP Bill strengthens the implementation of CSE beyond the mandate of RPRH Law. The target will comprise out-of-school youth and parents themselves. Appropriate training will be provided to the instructors of CSE, particularly teachers, equipping them with the correct adoption of sexual education to be passed onto the next generation. Furthermore, the scope expands into fostering understanding of informed consent and boundaries, gender-based violence, and sexual orientation and gender identities.
The PAP Bill is promising—so why the opposition?
First: “Sex education will not prevent but rather promote sex and teen births due to arousing curiosity and information among children.” This is the main argument that has been long debunked. Numerous local and international studies substantiate that sex education lowers the rate of teenage pregnancy. Even before CSE, access to widespread media and an unguarded environment has already exposed the youth to unhealthy introduction to sex. Now, why refuse the healthy and planned way with proven positive impact?
Second: “Sensitive matters like sex should be taught by parents according to their family values.” This should be considered with nuance. In CSE, parents are highly encouraged to teach their children; thus, seminars are provided for them as well for their further awareness and knowledge of sexual practices. Along with teachers acting as secondary parents, the children are carefully guided around the subject of sex education.
Third: “Children are too young to understand.” Children are always young but are in school exactly for the purpose of learning. The younger they are guided, the stronger their foundation will be for accountability. The PAP Bill and CSE is crafted with thorough consideration to age-appropriate and medical-accurate approaches.
Fourth: “Sex education is against culture and immoral.” This is a tough one, especially that Filipinos have yet to adapt and progress past traditional beliefs. The inclusion of sexuality in PAP Bill’s CSE compounds the opposition, which are mainly from religious groups. While traditional beliefs hold strong influence, ensuring the well-being of the youth should take precedence. Won’t God agree we must give the best possible life for our children? All children to be born deserve to be raised with complete basic needs by mentally and emotionally prepared parents—teenagers are not ready for that. Hence, prevention.
Continued debate around the PAP Bill currently hinders it from becoming law. Lamentably, the problem of teenage pregnancy not only stems from the lack of education and conservative restrictions. It overarches a myriad of deep-rooted society issues yet to be rectified. Reports reveal adolescent birth cases due to statutory rapes, pedophilia, and child marriages, which are deplorable, but to remain prevalent and unresolved till now? Unacceptable. Blunt injustice, social vilification, corruption, bigotry, misogyny everywhere—the country needs hope.
Passing the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill would be one step towards the probable change needed for the better of this society. Social reform is ever a long and patient fight for communication and action to open minds. As a youth, you are the hope. Speak up and support the right causes. The only birth that must be inflated is the birth of driven and engaged youth looking after the future.
Sources: ANC (2025, January). What’s in SB 1979? Child Rights Network Debunks Misconceptions About Anti-Teenage Pregnancy Bill. YouTube. Retrieved from https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2ww52-D6iHk
BusinessMirror. (2025, January 13). Groups mount signature drive to stop adolescent pregnancy bill’s passage. BusinessMirror. Retrieved from https://businessmirror.com.ph/2025/01/13/groups-mount-signature-drive-to-stop-adolescent-pregnancy-bills-passage/
GMA News Online. (2025, January 24). Anti-teenage pregnancy SB 1979 and substitute bill. GMA News Online. Retrieved from https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/934009/adolescent-pregnancy-prevention-bill-original-vs-substitute-full-text/story/
Philstar.com. (2025, January 17). Sex education in teen pregnancy prevention bill questioned. Philstar.com. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/01/17/2414833/sex-education-teen-pregnancy-prevention-bill-questioned
Save the Children Philippines. (2025, January 15). Save the Children Philippines and advocates clamor for urgent passage of teen pregnancy prevention bill. Save the Children Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.savethechildren.org.ph/our-work/our-stories/story/save-the-children-philippines-and-advocates-clamor-for-urgent-passage-of-teen-pregnancy-prevention-bill/
Senate of the Philippines. (2025). Senate Bill No. 1979: Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act. Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved from https://web.senate.gov.ph/lis/bill_res.aspx?congress=19&q=SBN-1979
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights. (2025, January 10). WGNRR calls for urgent passage of prevention of adolescent pregnancy bill. Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights. Retrieved from https://wgnrr.org/wgnrr-calls-for-urgent-passage-of-prevention-of-adolescent-pregnancy-bill/
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