Hontiveros tells Herbosa: Anti-Teenage Pregnancy Bill to strengthen RH Law

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on refuted Monday Health Secretary Ted Herbosa's position that there is no need for a new law to address adolescent pregnancies in the Philippines.

Hontiveros, sponsor of Senate Bill 1979 or the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, said the measure being pushed in the Senate is meant to strengthen the currently implemented Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law.

"Pinapaalala ko po sa Department of Health Secretary na pinapalakas ng Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill ang Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law," she said.

(I would like to remind the Secretary of the Department of Health that the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Bill strengthens the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law.)

"Ngayon pa at national emergency pa rin ang teen pregnancy, it is only right that we strengthen the RPRH Law. It is only right that we pass a measure that mandates the government to direct our attention and resources to this particular issue of teen pregnancy," she added.

[Now that teen pregnancy is still a national emergency, it is only right that we strengthen the RPRH Law.]

The lawmaker said "whether we like it or not" data showed that there are teenagers who are "sexually active and are currently facing the consequences of their actions."

The same fact is the reason why adolescents can access HIV testing and treatment even without parental consent under the law and the age of sexual consent was raised to 16, she added.

"Kailangan nila ng angkop na impormasyon at serbisyo, dagdag sa nakatakda sa RPRH. Hindi dapat ipinagkakait sa kanila ang  magproprotekta sa kalusugan nila...The PAP Bill is needed to empower adolescents to protect themselves," Hontiveros stressed.

(They need proper information and service on top of what was stated in the RPRH. They should not be denied the opportunity to protect their health.)

On Sunday, Herbosa said there is no need to tackle SB 1979, saying RH Law simply needs to be properly implemented.

“Meron naman tayong Reproductive Health Law at hindi naman tayo kailangang magpasa ng panibagong batas. Ang importante ay maturuan natin ang lahat ng ating mamamayan na ang problema ay ‘yung unplanned pregnancy at ang pagtaas ng mga namamatay dahil sa panganganak,” Herbosa said.

(We already have the Reproductive Health Law, and we don’t need another law. What’s important is educating our citizens that the real problems are unplanned pregnancies and the rising maternal deaths due to childbirth.)

SB 1979 became controversial as several groups expressed concern on the provision of the bill on Comprehensive Sexual Education which crafting was originally proposed to be "guided by international standards."

As the call of the groups reached the attention of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., Hontiveros has filed a substitute bill that would address the opposition of the measure's critics.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that 2,113 babies were born to mothers under 15 in 2020. This figure increased to 2,320 in 2021 and further to 3,135 in 2022. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News