PASAY CITY, July 2 -- Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, lauded President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, June 30, for issuing an executive order making the implementation of measures to tackle teenage pregnancies a national priority across the government.
Signed Friday, June 25, Executive Order No. 141 establishes a whole-of-government approach to addressing the root causes of the rising number of adolescent pregnancies and formalizes the government's commitment to the issue.
It specifically directs the mobilization of all existing pertinent coordinative and legal mechanisms, and the strengthening of access to comprehensive sexuality education and to raise awareness on reproductive health and rights services for young people.
"Walang tigil ang pamahalaan sa pagpoprotekta sa kapakanan ng mga kabataan, lalung-lalo na ngayong panahon ng pandemya. Ang mga kabataan ang pag-asa ng ating bayan kaya patuloy po sana nating gawin ang lahat upang proteksyunan sila," said Go.
"Nananatiling prayoridad ng gobyernong ito ang kapakanan ng kabataan lalo na pagdating sa kalusugan. Bukod rito, walang tigil rin ang ating kampanya laban sa kriminalidad at iligal na droga na nagdudulot ng pang-aabuso at pagkasira ng buhay ng mga bata," he also stressed.
The United Nations Population Fund Philippines reports, out of all live births within the adolescent age group, only 3% is fathered by men of the same age group which suggests such pregnancies may be the result of coercion between girls and older men.
The number of teenage pregnancies is expected to rise as girls already living in dysfunctional homes become more exposed to abuse due to the pandemic.
To address this, the EO mandates all government agencies and instrumentalities to identify and carry out preventative interventions, such as sexuality education, employment opportunities for young people, and promotion of health education in the mass media.
In doing so, government instrumentalities are ordered to 'exert all efforts' to reach out to communities in geographically isolated, depressed and conflict-ridden areas, etc. by empowering their field offices and strengthening coordination with local government units, civil society organizations and other stakeholders.
All agencies and instrumentalities are encouraged to maximize the use of digital and online platforms to raise awareness on reproductive health and rights.
The Sangguniang Kabataan Councils are especially urged to develop their own interventions and provide support to young mothers, which shall be reflected in their Local Youth Development Plans and the Annual Investment Program of their localities.
To ensure the proper development and implementation of policies, programs and projects affecting the youth, the National Youth Commission is mandated to establish a forum for continuing dialogue between the government and youth sector.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Population and Development shall continue to educate leaders, parents and other community members about evidence-based strategies to eliminate adolescent pregnancy.
To ensure enough budget for these interventions, the EO also mandates the Department of Budget and Management to make sure that the initiatives for prevention of adolescent pregnancies are included in the National Expenditure Program.
For his part, Senator Go filed Senate Bill No. 1650 in July 2020 to help ensure the protection of the youth against sexual violence. The bill seeks to amend the Anti-Child Abuse Law regarding the penalty for persons engaging in lascivious conduct or sexual activity with minors under twelve years of age.
He also filed SBN 1649 which reduces the risk of such crimes occurring by updating the country's outdated immigration system and prohibiting the entry of pedophiles, sexual perverts and persons engaged in prostitution into the Philippines.
Go also earlier called for a more comprehensive, whole-of-nation approach to put a stop to illegal activities that take advantage of the vulnerabilities of minors in order to protect the welfare of children during these challenging times. He also urged fellow lawmakers to exercise oversight on relevant laws that must be enforced to protect minors.
"Siguraduhin natin na naiimplementa ang mga batas na poprotekta sa ating kabataan. Kung kailangan taasan ang parusa o higpitan pa lalo ang ating mga patakaran ay gawin natin para maitigil ang ganitong pang-aabuso," explained Go.
Go said that while it is important to address societal ills by going after those responsible, it is also necessary for guardians to provide proper guidance to vulnerable children.
"Responsibilidad nating siguraduhin na magiging maayos ang kanilang kinabukasan," he added, emphasizing that it is the duty of the State to protect the future of the next generation as he called on government to ensure that the root cause of this social problem, which is poverty, is sufficiently addressed.
"Kaya mahalaga na habang sinusugpo natin ang mga masasamang gawain sa komunidad, dapat gabayan natin ang ating mga kabataan at tulungan ang kanilang mga pamilyang makaahon sa kahirapan," he added.
Since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the Senator has extended support to hundreds of children from poor families by providing learning materials such as computer tablets to assist their education. He also pushed for measures to protect the mental health of Filipinos and provide additional psycho-social assistance to individuals in distress.
"Sa ating mga kabataan, kung may kailangan kayo, lapitan niyo lang kami. Nandito ang gobyerno para tulungan kayo. Huwag po kayo mawalan ng pag-asa dahil malalampasan rin natin ang mga krisis na ito na dulot ng pandemya at kahirapan," he further said, adding that no Filipino should be left behind towards recovery. (OSBG)
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