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Republic of the Philippines f/ > aye, 01 JUL 2013
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

House Bill No.__ 3837

—
Introduced by Hon, Sol Aragones
ee

EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 13 provides that:

The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall
promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-
being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage
their involvement in public and civic affairs.

In light of the said provision, it is disheartening to note that in the Philippines the
incidence of teenage pregnancies is increasing. Teen pregnancy has serious consequences for
young women, their children, and communities as a whole. Too-early childbearing increases the
likelihood that a young woman will drop out of high school and that she and her child will live in
poverty. Statistically, the sons of teen mothers are more likely to end up in prison. The daughters
of teen mothers are more likely to end up teen mothers too.

Teens that grow up in disadvantaged economic, social, and familial circumstances are
more likely to engage in risky behavior and have a child during adolescence. Teens with strong
emotional attachments to their parents are more likely to become sexually active at a later age.
Seven out of ten teens say that they are prepared to listen to things parents thought they were not
ready to hear. One study found that the likelihood of teens having sex for the first time increased
with the number of unsupervised hours teens have during a week. After-school programs reduce
teen risky behavior by involving teens in activities that provide altematives to sex. Teenage girls
who play sports, for instance, are more likely to delay sex and have fewer partners and less likely
to become pregnant. After-school programs help prevent teen pregnancy by advancing good
decision-making skills and providing teens health education and positive role models in a
supervised setting. In order to address this increasing incidence of teenage pregnancies, there is a
need to institute projects to provide education on preventing teenage pregnancies.

(avez-
SOL ARA@ONES
Representative, 3" District of Laguna


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session
20
37
House Bill No.

Introduced by Hon. Sol Aragones

AN ACT
PROVIDING GRANTS TO INSTITUTE PROJECTS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION
ON PREVENTING TEEN PREGNANCIES

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

Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Teen Pregnancy

Prevention, Responsibility, and Opportunity Act."

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to recognize the vital
role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral,
spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and
nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs. Pursuant to this
policy, this Act seeks to provide grants to initiate projects to provide education in preventing

teen pregnancies.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms - The following terms as used in this Act shall he
defined as follows:
(A) AGE-APPROPRIATE- with respect to information on pregnancy

prevention, this term means topics, messages, and teaching methods suitable to


particular ages or age groups of children and adolescents, based on developing

cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age group.
(B) FACTUALLY AND MEDICALLY ACCURATE AND COMPLETE-
means verified or supported by the weight of research conducted in compliance with
accepted scientific methods and--
(1) published in peer-reviewed journals, where applicable; or
(2) comprising information that leading professional organizations and
agencies with relevant expertise in the field recognize as accurate, objective,

and complete.

SECTION 4. Grants Authorized -

(A) IN GENERAL - The Secretary of Health may make grants to local
educational agencies, local public health agencies, and nonprofit private entities for
the purpose of carrying out projects to provide education on preventing teen
pregnancies.

(B) PREFERENCE IN MAKING GRANTS - In making grants under
subsection (A), the Secretary shall give preference to applicants that will carry out the
projects under such subsection in communities for which the rate of teen pregnancy is
significantly above the average rate in the Philippines of such pregnancies.

(C) CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS - A grant may be made under subsection
(A) only if the applicant for the grant meets the following conditions with respect to
the project involved:

(1) The applicant agrees that information provided by the project on
pregnancy prevention will be age-appropriate, factually and medically

accurate and complete, and scientifically-based.


(2) The applicant agrees that the project will give priority to preventing
teen pregnancies by-
(A) encouraging teens to delay sexual activity;
(B) providing educational services and referrals for sexually
active teens or teens at risk of becoming sexually active;
(C) educating both young men and women about the
responsibilities and pressures that come along with parenting;
(D) helping parents communicate with teens about sexuality; or
(E) teaching young people responsible decision-making.

(D) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT - With respect to the activities for which a
grant under subsection (A) is authorized to be expended, such a grant may be made
for a fiscal year only if the applicant involved agrees to maintain expenditures for
such activities at a level that is not less than the level of such expenditures maintained
by the applicant for the fiscal year preceding the first fiscal year for which the
applicant receives such a grant.

(BE) EVALUATION OF PROJECTS - The Secretary shall establish criteria for
the evaluation of projects under subsection (A). A grant may be made under such
subsection only if the applicant involved--

(1) agrees to conduct evaluations of the project in accordance with
such criteria;

(2) agrees to submit to the Secretary such reports describing the results
of the evaluations as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; and

(3) submits to the Secretary, in the application under subsection (F), a

plan for conducting the evaluations.


(F) APPLICATION FOR GRANT - A grant may be made under subsection
(A) only if an application for the grant is submitted to the Secretary and the
application is in such form, is made in such manner, and contains such agreements,
assurances, and information, including the agreements under subsections (C) through
(B) and the plan under subsection (E)(3), as the Secretary determines to be necessary
to carry out this section.

(G) REPORT TO CONGRESS - The Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report describing the extent to which projects under subsection (A) have been
successful in reducing the rate of teen pregnancies in the communities in which the
projects have been carried out.

(H) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS - For the purpose of
carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated ten million pesos (Php

10,000,000) for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2015.

SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or

unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain

valid and subsisting.

SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive

order, letter of instruction, administrative rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with

the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,