Rise in teen pregnancies rattles Philippines

[lastlid]

"The Philippines has the highest number of teenage mothers in South East Asia.

The country's population continues to grow by two million people every year, with the number of teenage mothers rising by 70 per cent in 10 years.

Although sex education is controversial in the mostly Roman Catholic country, the 200,000 teen pregnancies each year is fuelling calls to educate young women about birth control".

Al Jazeera's Marga Ortigas reports from Manila.

[CBM]

I would guess that most people reading this thread will agree on the causes of the problem, but I will set out my thoughts anyway, beginning with a quotes from a friend, a gentleman who is no longer with us but who was at the time Manila's senior resident Englishman:

"When I arrived, in 1950, the population was fifteen million, I could swim in the Pasig, and I only added three!"

(the population was then sixty seven million)

The underlying cause in the rise of teenage pregnancy is the relative unavailability of contraception, and we all know who we have to thank for this. Not mentioned in the report, but just as present, is the rise in single motherhood and the rise in family breakdown.

We are starting to see a pattern in the Philippines where young men run away from the responsibilities of fatherhood.

Yet there seems no prospect of the CBCP ever learning to connect with reality.

[Terpe]

Still far too many "blocks" being raised against the RH bill.
Very worrying.

[Terpe]

Still far too many "blocks" being raised against the RH bill.
Very worrying.

[Terpe]

Teenage pregnancy and motherhood in UK is also a major issue, with contraception easy to obtain and sex education at school.

There's been talk recently about allowing children from 11 yrs and upwards to obtain free contraception from various sources without the need for parental consent or knowledge.
Many folks argue that this strategy could lead to increases in sexual activity amongst our younger people.

[lastlid]

Solution. Get Manny Pacquiao out of politics....thats my wife's answer to this.

[CBM]

As the Romans would say, "Cui bono?"

In whose interest are these blocks to the RH Bill? Who benefits from a rise in teenage pregnancy, a rise in single motherhood, a rise in family breakdown and an exploding population?

A cynical answer would be "foreign employers of housemaids".

I could be more cynical and add that I cannot see that the present situation benefits anyone in the Philippines, other than owners of recruitment agencies and, more shamefully, owners of KTV/disco joints, who of course depend on a steady supply of "fallen" young women with a child to support.

[lastlid]

As the Romans would say, "Cui bono?"

In whose interest are these blocks to the RH Bill? Who benefits from a rise in teenage pregnancy, a rise in single motherhood, a rise in family breakdown and an exploding population?

A cynical answer would be "foreign employers of housemaids".

I could be more cynical and add that I cannot see that the present situation benefits anyone in the Philippines, other than owners of recruitment agencies and, more shamefully, owners of KTV/disco joints, who of course depend on a steady supply of "fallen" young women with a child to support.

To the advantage of getting the RH Bill through. My dearest assures me that if Pacquiao's support against the bill was removed then it would stand a better chance of going through.....

[CBM]

Teenage pregnancy and motherhood in UK is also a major issue, with contraception easy to obtain and sex education at school.

There's been talk recently about allowing children from 11 yrs and upwards to obtain free contraception from various sources without the need for parental consent or knowledge.
Many folks argue that this strategy could lead to increases in sexual activity amongst our younger people.

Just to put these numbers into context, the UK had 34,633 teenage mothers in 2010, the last year for which the figures are available, and that was the lowest figure since 1969 - the rate has been falling steadily.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17190185

It is quite hard to find comparable figures for the Philippines, but a report in the Inquirer in 2008

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/...he-Philippines

suggested that there were a total of 3.6 million teenage mothers in the population in 1998. That figure seems to be the most recent and comes from the 1998 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) which went on to say that 92% of these pregnancies were unplanned and that 78% of teenagers did not use contraception when they first had sex.

The population of the UK is around 67 million, that of the Philippines is around 100 million. If we very crudely take the teenage years as being 13-19 and divide the 3.6 million figure for 1998 by six we get 600,000 teenage pregancies per year in the 1990's; a figure which is said to have doubled, according to the al-Jazeera report.

If the UK has 35,000 teenage mothers in a year out of a population of 67 million and the Philippines has 600,000 teenage mothers in a year out of a population of 100 million I think we may reasonably conclude that the UK approach of universal sex education at school and availability of contraception is working better than the Philippines reliance on the teachings of the Church!

[CBM]

To the advantage of getting the RH Bill through. My dearest assures me that if Pacquiao's support against the bill was removed then it would stand a better chance of going through.....

Makes very good sense, alas. It's too easy for an outfit like the Church to "get to" a public figure like Pacquiao, who must court popularity because he is, at bottom, an entertainer, like any other professional sportsman.

Conversely, who amongst the politicians who have urged the need for common sense in contraception and sex education has flourished?

I can go back as far as Juan Flavier, Minister of Health under FV Ramos, being called "An agent of Satan" by Cardinal Sin for distributing condoms.

[CBM]

I'm afraid the sad truth is that the al-Jazeera headline is wrong - it should be

"Rise in teenage pregancies DOES NOT rattle the Philippines!"

[grahamw48]

In the Philippines the Catholic church is primarily to blame IMO.

As an Atheist I could easily write 3 pages here, but I don't want to bore anyone.

Where there is a lack of discipline shown from above and the whole population is effectively brainwashed from birth into a culture of acceptance and apathy, this will always result in the prevention of the majority from reaching their full potential in life.
A great shame for a country full of wonderful and clever people.

[sars_notd_virus]

Still far too many "blocks" being raised against the RH bill.
Very worrying.

It is sad to see a baby having a baby,...the RH bill should push through!!
they should not just educate but give the contraceptives/condoms free for all the youngsters

[grahamw48]

Their parents should also know where they are and have them in the house after a certain hour.

A lot of this is down to parental responsibility.

When we lived in the Phils my stepdaughter (then aged between 11 and 14years) was asked for dates by the boys from her school on a few occasions.

My answer was NO.

[lastlid]

Makes very good sense, alas. It's too easy for an outfit like the Church to "get to" a public figure like Pacquiao, who must court popularity because he is, at bottom, an entertainer, like any other professional sportsman.

Conversely, who amongst the politicians who have urged the need for common sense in contraception and sex education has flourished?

I can go back as far as Juan Flavier, Minister of Health under FV Ramos, being called "An agent of Satan" by Cardinal Sin for distributing condoms.

Miriam Defensor Santiago?

[Arthur Little]

Hmm ... I'm no statistician, but ... from the figures posted by CBM ... it seems to me that, if those opposing the Reproductive Health motion [other than simply the priesthood] took out their calculators - instead of all too readily taking out "something ELSE" - then they might better grasp the harsh reality of this highly controversial issue, and vote accordingly.

[lastlid]

Hmm ... I'm no statistician, but ... from the figures posted by CBM ... it seems to me that, if those opposing the Reproductive Health motion [other than simply the priesthood] took out their calculators - instead of all too readily taking out "something ELSE" - then they might better grasp the harsh reality of this controversial issue, and vote accordingly.

I know. I find it all so incredible.

[Jamesey]

Without doubt, the blame for this lies with the Catholic Church!

[CBM]

Miriam Defensor Santiago?

OK, I give you Miriam Defensor Santiago, at the moment (she may change her mind next week) but she has been "all over the place" on so many issues that frankly her support for the RH bill means little.

[lastlid]

OK, I give you Miriam Defensor Santiago, at the moment (she may change her mind next week) but she has been "all over the place" on so many issues that frankly her support for the RH bill means little.

The Remullas?

[CBM]

Without doubt, the blame for this lies with the Catholic Church!

Specifically with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines; who are now the most reactionary bunch of prelates on the planet.

[CBM]

The Remullas?

OK. But I don't recall any Remulla holding Cabinet office (I stand to be corrected, here)

[lastlid]

OK. But I don't recall any Remulla holding Cabinet office (I stand to be corrected, here)

Enrique Ona?

[CBM]

Enrique Ona?

Good one. But I fear I may start to sound cynical, if I say "give the CBCP time - they got to Juan Flavier when he was in the same job.". A pity, because he was really good. I honestly thought the reform would go through., foolish young optimist that I was!

[lastlid]

Do you know how many of the Philippine cabinet are in favour of the bill?

And isnt Aquino in favour?

[CBM]

Do you know how many of the Philippine cabinet are in favour of the bill?

And isnt Aquino in favour?

Oh, a majority of the Cabinet, for sure, and Aquino has been vocal enough in support of the RH Bill to have been threatened with excommunication by the CBCP...

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquire...xcommunication

but a majority of the Ramos cabinet were in favour of Flavier's legislation and Ramos was beyond excommunication because he is a Methodist!

The real test is - will a majority of the House and a majority of the Senate be willing to fight the Church in their next election campaigns - to put it even more bluntly, will their financial backers support them if they do?

[lastlid]

The real test is - will a majority of the House and a majority of the Senate be willing to fight the Church in their next election campaigns.

I hope so....

[CBM]

I hope so....

We are in complete agreement.

If only the CBCP agreed with us, as well.

[lastlid]

The real test is - will a majority of the House and a majority of the Senate be willing to fight the Church in their next election campaigns.

I dont believe that every one of the Senate or the house itself, that suppport the Bill, don't have the courage of their convictions but I guess some may well not....

[CBM]

It's really a question of money. You need a lot to run for the house, and really huge amounts (think tens of millions of US$) to run for the Senate, because of the national franchise.

Because the Philippines does not have either political parties or campaign funding legislation as we in present day Britain understand these things, politicians must ask wealthy backers for support - this support is forthcoming on the sort of terms that applied to MPs sitting for rotten boroughs in the British House of Commons before the 1832 Reform Act - "I'll pay for you to get elected so long as you do my bidding once you are elected!"

So the question becomes - "will those who finance election campaigns take the risk of financing politicians who choose to fight the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines?"