Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

4793

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by Honorable Rosenda Ann Ocampo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and
strives to promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and
social well-being.

Likewise, the State is duty-bound to protect and promote the right to
health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.

These guarantees contained in the 1987 Philippine Constitution are
now more relevant in the face of the growing problem of teenage pregnancy
that cuts across the various social classes in our country today.

In the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) from
2011-2014, one in every ten women of child bearing age were found to be
teenagers from 14 ~ 19 years of age.

More alarmingly, twenty four (24) babies born every hour in the
Philippines came from teenage mothers.

Indeed, the impact and toll caused by this phenomenon that has
evolved into a tragic fact of life are manifold and intertwined.

For instance, we have young adults dropping out from school and
joining the growing unemployed work force. Infant and maternal mortality
rates remain high in the Philippines despite our commitment to the UN
Millennium Development Goal. The failure of our government to rein in the
annual population growth rate, which is among the highest in the Asia-Pacific
region, fueled in big measure by the explosion of teenage pregnancy.

These programs, however, have to be reviewed and evaluated, hence
this bill came into being. The evaluation of such programs will enable the
authorities to strengthen and if needed, revise them for more applicable
implementation. This bill aims to reduce in the long run the rate of teenage


pregnancy by providing young women with informed choices, emotional
support and guidance.

For these reasons, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

RO! A ANN M. OCAMPO


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

7 OQ
HOUSE BILL No. _ AR93 |

Introduced by Honorable Rosenda Ann Ocampo

“AN ACT
TO INSTITUTE A MECHANISM FOR THE EFFECTIVE
EVALUATION, PROMOTION AND RECOMMENDATION OF
FUNDING FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROGRAMS THAT
AIM TO REDUCE THE RATE OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY”

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Teenage Pregnancy
Reduction Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy ~ The State recognizes the vital role
of the youth in nation-building. This recognition mandates the State to assist
the youth in all aspects of their human development.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms - For purposes of this Act, the terms:

(a) Programmatic Approaches with respect to prevention programs,
includes advocating abstinence from sexual activity; providing family
planning services; fostering academic achievement; mentoring by
adults; providing employment assistance or job training; providing
professional counselling or peer counseling; providing for recreational
or social events; and any combination thereof;

(b) Prevention Program means a program for the prevention of
pregnancy in adolescents;

(c) Secretary means the Secretary of the Department of Health.

SEC. 4. Evaluation of Effective Programs for Prevention of
Adolescent Pregnancy - The Secretary shall arrange for the evaluation of a
wide variety of existing programs designed in whole or in part to prevent
pregnancy in adolescents, including programs that do not receive funds from


the government for the operation of the programs. The purpose of the
evaluation shall be the determination of the following:

a) The effectiveness of such programs in reducing adolescent pregnancy;
b) The factors contributing to the effectiveness of the programs; and
C) The feasibility of replicating the programs in other locations.

SEC. 5. Participation of Government and Private Organizations
~ In carrying out the evaluation under the preceding Section, the Secretary
shall as appropriate:

a) Provide for the participation of the Department of Education (DepEd),
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department
of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Population Commission
(POPCOM), and

b) Provide for the participation of organizations with demonstrated
expertise in conducting evaluations of adolescent pregnancy prevention
program.

SEC. 6. Design of Evaluation - Subject to Section 7, the Secretary
shall select a design for the evaluation under Section 4 from among proposals
that:

a) Provide for the evaluation of programs in various geographic regions;

b) With respect to the populations served by the programs provide for
determining factors that are specific to various socio-economic, age
groups and factors that are specific to gender; and,

c) Meet such other criteria as the Secretary may establish.

SEC. 7. Measures of Effectiveness - The Secretary shall define the
measures of effectiveness used in evaluating the programs designed to
reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancy, and shall include a variety of
measures of effectiveness in the definition.

SEC. 8. Submission of Report - Not later than one (1) year after the
effectivity of this Act, the evaluation under Section 4 shall be completed and a
report shall be submitted to Congress that describes the findings made in the
evaluation and provides recommendations for future programs designed to
reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancy.

SEC. 9. Dissemination of Information - After the submission of the
report under Section 8, the Secretary shall disseminate the findings and
recommendations presented in the report. The categories of individuals to
whom the information is disseminated shall include administrators of
prevention programs, public and private entities providing financial support to
such programs, organizations working on such programs, professional medical
associations, entities providing public health services, entities providing social
work services, and school administrators.

SEC. 10. Rule of Construction - The provisions of this Act apply
with respect to a prevention program without regard to which of the various


programmatic approaches for the prevention of pregnancy in adolescents is
the focus of the program.

SEC. 11. Appropriation - To carry out the provision of the Act, such
amount as may be necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from
the National Treasury. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the
establishment of programs designed to reduce the rate of adolescent
pregnancy shall be included in the annual appropriation of the Department of
Health,

SEC. 12. Separability Clause - If any provision or part hereof is held
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not
otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SEC. 13. Repealing Clause - Any law, presidential decree or
issuance, executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or
regulation contrary to or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby
repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SEC. 14. Effectivity Clause - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

APPROVED.