Camille Villar sees need to address teenage pregnancies in PH

Camille Villar has expressed alarm anew over the increasing number of teenage pregnancy cases in the country, majority of whom coming from the underprivileged sector of society.

To address the problem, Villar said there is a need to increase awareness on the impact of getting pregnant at an early age.  

Villar also cited the need to promote the mental well-being of the young mothers through counselling and special training programs.

“Actually, that is one of the growing concerns because year-on-year parang I think there was a 30-percent increase in teen pregnancies, starting I believe from 14 to 16 years old,” she said in a press conference on Friday in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

“So, I think one of the ways which we can prevent that at first is awareness. To know that this is a prevalent issue and to be able to let our teenagers learn about the effects of early pregnancies and the consequences that it has on the rest of your life,” Villar added.

There is a need to educate teenage mothers on how to deal with their situation — faced with the challenges of taking care of their children and raising their families.

Villar also saw the need for the public to look at these cases with a broader perspective, removing the stigma on teenage mothers.

“So, but I think with any problem facing the youth right now, what we must begin with, is awareness, and to get rid of the stigma that sometimes people don’t like to discuss it,” she said.

“And then for those that fall victim to early pregnancy or for those who already have it we need to have an ample support system. Of course, there is financial and then, there is also helping them on how to manage their situation as well as their families,” Villar added. #