Camille Naredo

"Jessy" 16, cares for her infant baby inside their home in a permanent housing tenement in Bgy. Smokey Mountain, Tondo Manila, May 9, 2018. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

"Jessy" 16, cares for her infant baby inside their home in a permanent housing tenement in Bgy. Smokey Mountain, Tondo Manila, May 9, 2018. For many families teen pregnancies  seem to be an inescapable part of growing up in the slums. While the government is doing all it can to make sure that their infants are cared for in local health centers, its still up to the communities to help teen-agers focus on education.  Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

TEEN PREGNANCY

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173736481995020180509-mothers-day-10-JC.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="&quot;Jessy&quot; 16, cares for her infant baby inside their home in a permanent housing tenement in Bgy. Smokey Mountain, Tondo Manila, May 9, 2018. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">&quot;Jessy&quot; 16, cares for her infant baby inside their home in a permanent housing tenement in Bgy. Smokey Mountain, Tondo Manila, May 9, 2018. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- A child rights group on Monday urged President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. not to veto a bill meant to prevent teen pregnancies, saying he should read it carefully instead. </p><p>This, after Marcos, Jr. slammed &quot;woke absurdities&quot; in the bill that supposedly seeks to teach children to masturbate and take away parents&#x27; authority over their offspring.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/20/marcos-says-parts-of-teen-pregnancy-prevention-bill-ridiculous-abhorrent-1152">READ: Marcos slams &#x27;woke absurdities&#x27; in teen pregnancy prevention bill</a></div><p>But in a statement, Child Rights Network (CRN) Philippines – considered the largest alliance moving for child rights legislation in the country – said it was better if the President explained which parts of the bill were questionable to him. </p><p>&quot;Comprehensive Sexuality Education or CSE is just one of its components and is just a reiteration of what is already in the RH Law and the Executive Order signed by former President Duterte in response to NEDA’s declaration of teen pregnancy as a national social emergency,&quot; said CRN Philippines in a statement. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/19/wrap-bill-to-prevent-teen-pregnancies-births-questions-on-morality-masturbation-1454">READ: Bill to prevent teen pregnancies births questions on morality, masturbation</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/19/comprehensive-sexuality-education-crucial-for-young-people-up-institute-1501">READ: Comprehensive Sexuality Education &#x27;crucial&#x27; for young people -- UP institute</a></div><p>&quot;Kami ay umaasa na hindi niya ive-veto ang isang bill na naglalayong makapagtapos ng pag-aaral ang teen parents, matulungan sila at ang kanilang mga anak through health services, at mabigyan ng age-appropriate at culturally sensitive information ang mga bata at kabataan para mapigilan ang teen pregnancy,&quot; it added. </p><p>For the group, what&#x27;s important is that the President read the provisions in the bill thoroughly and carefully, as the proposed law underwent consultations with child rights organizations.</p><p>&quot;Wala po sa bill ang sinasabi n’yong dahilan kung bakit ito ive-veto. This bill has undergone consultations with child rights organizations responsible for advocating laws that protect the Filipino children,&quot; the group said. </p><p>The Comprehensive Sexuality Education recently became a center of discussion after lawmakers expressed concern on its implementation by the Department of Education as early as Kindergarten, and the Senate Bill No. 1979 or the proposed Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act.</p><p>Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chair of one of the committees that prepared Senate Bill No. 1979, said that childhood masturbation was not part of the proposed legislation. </p><p>Hontiveros earlier said critics of the bill were making false claims.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/74kxlqR-vwU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A child rights group on Monday urged President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. not to veto a bill meant to prevent teen pregnancies, saying he should read it carefully instead.</p>

A child rights group on Monday urged President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. not to veto a bill meant to prevent teen pregnancies, saying he should read it carefully instead.

Child rights group urges Marcos Jr. not to veto teen pregnancy prevention bill

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Child rights group urges Marcos Jr. not to veto teen pregnancy prevention bill

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 20, 2025 05:31 PM PHT

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teen pregnancy

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Risa Hontiveros

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