Senator Win Gatchalian warns that there may be a spike in the cases of teenage pregnancy in areas hit by recent typhoons.
“Ang epekto ng pandemya ay isa nang posibleng sanhi ng pagdami ng mga batang ina sa bansa. At dahil sa mga nagdaang bagyo, ang mga batang babae sa mga nasalantang lugar ay mas nanganganib na mabiktima ng karahasan, pang-aabuso, at maging mga batang ina,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
Teenage girls aged 10-19 years old are prone to molestation and become pregnant in evacuation centers.
Gatchalian cited a study by the Department of Science and Technology-National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP) in 2017, which revealed that when Typhoon Yolanda hit Eastern Visayas, 23.5 percent from the region’s total population of teenage girls got pregnant. The study also showed that 14.8 percent had another child the following year.
“Marami nang mga pagkakataong nakita nating ang mga kalamidad ay nagiging sanhi ng pagdami ng mga batang ina. Kailangan nating tutukan ang bantang ito upang protektahan ang ating mga kabataan at ang kanilang kinabukasan,” he added.
Gatchalian added the need for comprehensive sexuality education in schools to raise awareness on preventing the surge of teenage pregnancy.
