Nelson Morales

Mothers nurse their newborn babies in the Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila on June 9, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Young mothers care for their babies at the Jose Fabella Hospital on Thursday (June 9, 2016).  Cause oriented groups headed by the "Save Fabella Movement" criticized the government for its plan to privatize the hospital, that would possibly impact access to affordable maternal health services to low-income mothers.

 Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News.

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Health/ Hospitals

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/173771165200920160609-hospital-josefabella-jc-4.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Mothers nurse their newborn babies in the Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila on June 9, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Mothers nurse their newborn babies in the Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila on June 9, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Supporters of the the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy bill called on senators opposed to supposedly immoral and inappropriate provisions in the proposal to bring their objections to the Senate floor, saying the bill has been repeatedly pushed back on the legislative agenda.</p><p>Au Quilala, deputy executive director of Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation, said the bill has been scheduled for floor debates since last August but has been bumped off or passed over for interpellation.</p><p>&quot;So, nakikiusap kami sa mga senador na meron naman pala kayong ganitong concerns (We are pleading with the senators who have these concerns)...let us please use the legislative process that is available for the senators to discuss the merits of the bill,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;At sana ay kung meron kayong mga agam-agam or you want to introduce amendments doon niyo po dalhin at hindi sa labas, sa media. Kasi hindi naman nakakapapagpasa ng bill na pinaguusapan lamang sa public or sa socmed. Sa floor po ninyo pag-usapan.&quot;</p><p>(And we hope that if you have doubts or you want to introduce amendments, please bring it to the floor and not outside, or to the media. Because just talking about it in public or on social media will not pass a bill. Please discuss it on the floor)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/1/23/-para-hindi-na-mabaluktot-hontiveros-refines-anti-teen-pregnancy-bill-1329">&#x27;Para hindi na mabaluktot&#x27;: Hontiveros refines anti-teen pregnancy bill</a></div><p>PLCPD was one of the advocates for theResponsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act, which was also the subject of intense lobbying on morality grounds before it was enacted in 2012.</p><p>Quilala made the remarks at a press conference with other Civil Society Organizations to call for passage of the bill, which some senators listed as co-authors have distanced themselves from after criticism by religious groups and<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/20/marcos-says-parts-of-teen-pregnancy-prevention-bill-ridiculous-abhorrent-1152"> a statement from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that he would veto it.</a></p><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></div><p>The groups scored the senators who withdrew their signatures from their endorsement of SB 1979, calling the withdrawal &quot;counterproductive&quot; and &quot;unfair&quot; to advocates who held consultations.</p><p>&quot;This bill has been almost a decade in the making. What&#x27;s the point of a plenary deliberation if we can&#x27;t use this time to thresh out differences, propose amendments or improve the current language of the bill?&quot; they also said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/22/revilla-is-6th-senator-to-withdraw-support-of-prevention-of-adolescent-pregnancy-bill-1621">Senators withdraw support of Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy bill over criticism<br/></a></div><p>Sen. Joel Villanueva, who had labelled the bill deceptive, told ABS-CBN News in a text message that he has already pointed out what he sees as objectionable in the bill.</p><p>&quot;I did. I showed these provisions. The authors and committee members withdrew their support [because] just like the President they felt na mapambudol ang panukalang batas (they felt that the bill is deceptive). Lastly it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL&quot; Villanueva he said.</p><div><strong>SERENO &#x27;A DISAPPOINTMENT&#x27;</strong></div><p>But advocates of the bill have said that fears raised by Villanueva as well as by the National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution, through its Project Dalisay campaign, are not supported by the actual text of the proposed bill.</p><p>Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines National Chair Elizabeth Angsioco, a supporter of the bill, said she was disappointed that former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was among those who spread false claims about the proposed legislation.</p><p>&quot;Personally, I supported her before when she was being ousted from her position. I was just not prepared... that ganoon pala siya ka conservative (that she is that conservative), she said.</p><p>&quot;Of course, she knows her laws and mga legal concepts. Pero, sa totoo lang, it will boil down yung sinasabi niya na morality, &#x27;yung sinasabi niya na laban sa Simbahan (But, in reality, it will all boil down to what she was saying about morality, about it being against the Church).&quot;</p><p>Judy Miranda, secretary general of the Partido Manggagagawa wants Sereno to take responsibility for the materials circulated by Project Dalisay.</p><p>&quot;She has been moralizing. On what basis? And we should also understand that this is discrimination against victims of teen pregnancy.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/13/parents-urged-to-teach-correct-terms-under-comprehensive-sexuality-education-2015">&#x27;Not bird, not flower&#x27;: Parents urged to teach correct terms under comprehensive sexuality education<br/></a></div><div><strong>NATIONAL AND SOCIAL EMERGENCY IN TEEN PREGNANCIES</strong></div><p>Dr. Juan Perez III, vice President of the Forum for Family Planning and Development and a former undersecretary of the Population Commission, meanwhile said at the same conference that there is a national and social emergency in pregnancies among young Filipina girls, which should prompt quick passage of the bill.</p><p>He said there has been a consistent rise of pregnancy in the Philippines from 2018-2023 among girls aged between 10 to 14.</p><p>Citing World Health Organization and Philippine Statistics Authority data, Perez said adolescent mothers (ages 10-19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis, and systemic infections than women aged 20 to 24 years.</p><p>Babies of adolescent mothers also face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm delivery and severe neonatal conditions, he said.</p><p>Citing PSA data, Perez also said 1.76% of girls 10-17 years old are solo parents, adding most of the girls who became pregnant likely had to drop out of school. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/19/wrap-bill-to-prevent-teen-pregnancies-births-questions-on-morality-masturbation-1454">Bill to prevent teen pregnancies births questions on morality, masturbation<br/></a></div><div><strong>RAPE OF YOUNG GIRLS<br/></strong></div><p>Perez also said that 11,479 live births in 2023 among children below 16 should be considered rape under Republic Act No. 11648, or the revised Anti-Rape Law.</p><p>He said that, in 2023, only 21 fathers were of similar age of the 3,343 mothers aged 9-14. About 37%, or 1,234 fathers, were in the 17-22 age group. </p><p>He said that, based on data, more girls aged 9-16 are raped than any other age group in the Philippines, with their risk of being raped five times higher than all other women and girls.</p><p>He said that even though the girls were seen by health workers and even if parents and guardians were aware of the pregnancies, these did not lead to cases being filed for rape.</p><p>Among the skills to be taught in the Comprehensive Sexuality Education that Villanueva, Sereno and President Marcos Jr. said they oppose are being able to set boundaries, identify abuse, and report these to their parents or guardians.</p><p>&quot;It is most urgent for bills, for the bill in the House of Representatives on teen pregnancy and in the Senate to be approved and hopefully signed by the President,&quot; Perez said.</p><div><strong>— from a report by RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</strong></div>

<p>Supporters of the the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy bill called on senators opposed to supposedly immoral and inappropriate provisions in the proposal to bring their objections to the Senate floor, saying the bill has been repeatedly pushed back on the legislative agenda.</p>

Supporters of the the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy bill called on senators opposed to supposedly immoral and inappropriate provisions in the proposal to bring their objections to the Senate floor, saying the bill has been repeatedly pushed back on the legislative agenda.

CSOs tell senators: Bring objections to anti-teen pregnancy bill to floor debates

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CSOs tell senators: Bring objections to anti-teen pregnancy bill to floor debates

ABS-CBN News

Published January 24, 2025 05:41 PM PHT

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Updated January 25, 2025 04:09 PM PHT

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Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy bill

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