CWC: Adult men behind most pregnancies of adolescent girls

The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) on Monday warned that adult men are responsible for most of the pregnancies among adolescent girls.

CWC executive director Angelo Tapales noted that while poverty is the main cause of early pregnancies, there were incidents of pregnancies that were caused by adults.

“Of course, poverty is the main driver. Maraming nasasadlak sa kahirapan at napupwersang makisama o mag-asawa, magco-habit o fellow minors kaya nabubuntis agad. Pero hindi lang po ito kwestiyon ng kahirapan, poverty, or economic component, mayroon din nakikita ang CWC na child protection complexion,” he said over “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.”

(Of course, poverty is the main driver. Many are trapped in poverty and feel forced to live with a partner, get married, or cohabitate with fellow minors, leading to early pregnancy. But this isn’t just a question of poverty or an economic component; the CWC also sees a child protection dimension to this.)

“Kasi majority ng nakakabuntis sa ating mga adolescent mothers ay mga matatandang lalaki, mas matatanda sa kanila, ito ay mga adults na.” 

(Because the majority of those getting our adolescent mothers pregnant are older men – older than them – they are already adults.)

The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) earlier expression concern over an increase in pregnancies among very young adolescents.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that 138,697 live births in 2024 were to mothers aged 10 to 19.

Of this number, 3,612 births were to girls below 15 years old, an increase from 3,343 cases recorded in 2023.

The CWC said the law defines sexual relations with those under 16 years old as rape. 

“Under sa amendment doon sa rape law natin, kapag nakipagtalik ka sa below 16, since ayan ang age of consent, that’s practically rape po or qualified rape ng bata,” Tapales said. 

(Under the amendment to our rape law, if you have sexual relations with someone below 16, since that is the age of consent, that is practically rape or qualified statutory rape of a child.) 

Signed into law in 2022, Republic Act 11648 raises the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16 years old.

Under RA 11648, there is no criminal liability on the part of a person having carnal knowledge of another person under 16 when the age difference between the parties is not more than three years and the sexual act in question is proven to be “consensual, non-abusive, and non-exploitative.”

“Ang ginagawa ng pamahalaan diyan, of course, we are addressing the poverty aspect, but of course, we are also creating awareness to prevent and to protect children kasi may child protection complexion din po siya,” Tapales said.

(What the government is doing there – of course, we are addressing the poverty aspect – but we are also creating awareness to prevent these cases and to protect children, because there is a child protection dimension to it as well.) — JMA, GMA Integrated News