ALBAY Rep. Edcel C. Lagman stated that Filipino adolescents will soon have access to modern contraceptives without parental consent after the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development approved his House Bill No. 79 or the “Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act” together with six other similar bills.
The other authors are Reps. Juan Fidel Felipe F. Nograles, Charisse Anne C. Hernandez, Stephen James Tan, Patrick Michael D. Vargas, Francisco Paolo Ortega, and Raoul A. Manuel. Lagman maintained that “young people have the right to lead healthy lives and the means to protect their health and safeguard their future.
This includes access to reproductive health information, services, and commodities.”
He also underscored that affording access to modern contraceptives to adolescents is impressed with State interest because: (a) adolescent pregnancy, particularly from ages 10-14, has become a national social emergency; (b) adolescent pregnancy and childbirth account for the highest rate of maternal mortality; (c) early childbearing is a leading factor in intergenerational poverty; and (d) it a speculative and mistaken notion that access to contraceptives will lead to adolescent promiscuity.
The Committee on Youth and Sports Development chaired by Rep. Faustino Michael Dy III approved the bills last February 2, 2023 and a substitute bill is now being prepared by the Committee to integrate the similar bills and incorporate committee amendments.
According to Lagman, access to contraceptives by adolescents will complement the mandatory reproductive health and sexuality education provided for in RA No. 10354 or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law which was enacted in 2012.
metrosundaily
