Teen pregnancy costs economy P34 billion yearly: DOH official

September 25, 2017

An estimated P34 billion is lost to the economy yearly due to high teenage pregnancy in the Philippines, an official of the Department of Health said Monday.

In her speech at the multi-sectoral dialogue on the 5th year anniversary of the passage of the Reproductive Health law, the health department's  national  implementation team for the RH Law chairperson Esperanza Cabral said: "The age-earning profile of females, who completed high school, is much higher than those who did not complete high school.

"The accumulated economic loss is really big," she added

The health department's  estimates show those who did not finish high school due to childbearing would only earn P46 per day at age 22; P147 per day at age 32; and P213 per day at age 42.

Those who are able to continue high school earn P361 per day at age 22; P469 per day at age 32; and P548 per day at age 42.

Cabral said the number of girls aged 15-19 getting pregnant increased between 2002 and 2013.

"We are all worried about the increase in early child bearing because it is a reflection of many things in the society, including economic status and chance to be gainfully employed," said Cabral.

From only 4.4 percent in 2002, the number of those aged 15-19 and are mothers have gone up to 11 percent in 2013.

Females aged 15-19 who are pregnant with their first child increased from 1.9 percent in 2002 to 2.6 percent in 2013.

She said this is due to lack of information on reproductive health and low use of family planning methods.

This, she said, is despite the presence of the Reproductive Health law since 2012.

"I am always dissatisfied. And that is a motivation to work harder. Because the (information dissemination) is not enough," said Cabral.

She said contraceptive use in the country among women is only at 23.5 percent.  "Over the years, modern contraceptives use has not improved remarkably," said Cabral.  DMS