Lessons from the Frontlines: Tackling Adolescent Pregnancy and Advancing Comprehensive Sexuality Education in the Philippines

Legazpi City, Philippines – At the heart of the 2025 Philippine Population Association (PPA) International Scientific Conference, held at Bicol University, Legazpi City, last March 6–7, a powerful session titled “Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Adolescent Reproductive Health: Lessons from Data, Policy, and Ground-Level Efforts” brought together leading voices in health, policy, and community advocacy.

The session laid bare the complexities and consequences of adolescent pregnancy in the Philippines, exposing policy and service delivery gaps while offering hope through grassroots innovations and data-driven solutions.

(Left to Right) CPD Region V Director Joyce Dela Paz-Hilvano; Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III; Ms. Jaivin E. Balueta; Mr. Kevin de Vera; Mr. Enzo Miguel de Borja; PPA President Dr. Christian Joy Cruz

A National Emergency: Adolescent Pregnancy and the Challenge of Policy Enforcement

Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III, The Forum

Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III, former Executive Director of the Commission on Population and Development, opened the session with an unflinching review of the country's adolescent pregnancy crisis, particularly among girls aged 9 to 16.

In 2023, an average of nine births per day were recorded among girls under 15, many of them victims of sexual abuse and statutory rape. Perez cited the Philippine Statistics Authority and Department of Health data to underscore the severity of this silent emergency.

Despite legal advancements such as Republic Act 11648, which raised the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16, no single case was filed under the law in 2023, revealing the weak enforcement and deep-seated systemic failures.

Perez called for stronger inter-agency coordination, accountability in local government units, and real investments in adolescent-friendly health services and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). “We cannot legislate our way out of this crisis without action on the ground,” he said.

Pasig City’s ARH Revolution: Data as a Catalyst for Change

Enzo Miguel de Borja, Pasig City LGU

Enzo Miguel De Borja, representing the Office of Councilor Corazon Raymundo, shared how Pasig City is building a localized model for adolescent reproductive health (ARH) governance using data as a foundation.

In 2023, the Pasig POPDEV Team cleaned and consolidated data from the 2021 Community-Based Monitoring System to produce a dynamic ARH database. This became the basis for three legislative measures: Creation of the Pasig City Population and Development Office, Reestablishment of Public School and Community Teen Centers, and a comprehensive Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Ordinance.

While two of the three measures faced resistance in the city council, De Borja emphasized that “data changed the conversation” and allowed civil society and policy champions to push forward a youth-centered, evidence-based agenda.

Reaching the Margins: Night High Schools and CSE Innovation in Cebu

Kevin de Vera, The Forum

Kevin de Vera showcased an initiative tailored for a group often excluded from mainstream programs, students in Night High Schools (NHS) in the tri-cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue.

These students, mostly working youth from economically disadvantaged families, miss out on school-based reproductive health education delivered during the day. In response, a multi-sectoral team launched an initiative to integrate CSE and Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) into the NHS system.

Despite restrictions from DepEd orders limiting extracurricular activities, creative strategies like school-to-school CSE-ASRH caravans and weekend sessions were implemented. With 197 out of 200 students completing advanced training, and 166 DepEd officials signing a Manifesto of Support, the effort demonstrated that inclusion is possible when approached with flexibility and strong partnerships.

Inside the Classroom: KAP on SRH Among Albay’s Senior High Girls

Jaivin E. Balueta, Bicol University

The session’s final paper returned the spotlight to Albay, the host region of the conference. Jaivin E. Balueta presented findings from a study on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on reproductive health among 253 senior high school girls in Albay’s high-risk schools.

While students showed high awareness of basic reproductive health concepts, critical misconceptions persisted, including limited understanding of same-sex attraction and fertility awareness. Most students relied on peers rather than health providers for information, and contraceptive use remained low.

Cultural norms promoting abstinence were strong, but often left young people without strategies when abstinence failed. Balueta called for more comprehensive, inclusive CSE that incorporates emotional readiness, consent, and accessible services—beyond basic biology.

Call to Action

Across all four presentations, a shared urgency emerged: the need for coherent, inclusive, and youth-responsive approaches to adolescent reproductive health. From national policy gaps to the promise of local innovation, the session revealed the importance of strengthening the link between data, policy, education, and community action.

Closing the session, panelists stressed that adolescents cannot wait for delayed reforms. “This is not just a health issue,” Dr. Perez reminded the audience. “It is a human rights and justice issue, and justice delayed is harm perpetuated.”

From Legazpi City to Pasig and Cebu, the stories shared at the 2025 PPA International Scientific Conference chart a path forward, one where young people are informed, protected, and empowered through the shared efforts of policymakers, educators, researchers, and communities.