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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS ) = pave April21, 2021 {
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) ‘
Second Regular Session )
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez

House Bill No. 9234
EXPLANATORY NOTE

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the United Nations sexual and
reproductive health agency. In a policy brief it published in January 2020, it stated that there
are around 10.3 million adolescent girls (10-19 years old). One of the most pressing issues
that the Filipino youth are facing today is teenage pregnancy. A UNFPA-commissioned study
in 2016 revealed that those adolescents in the Philippines who have begun childbearing before
the age of 18 are less likely to complete secondary education compared to the adolescents
who have not begun childbearing. The non-completion of secondary education impacts
employment opportunities in the future and total life earnings of families.

The teenage pregnancy rate in the Philippines in 2017 was 9%. There were 183,000 live
births by teenage mothers in 2018. While the numbers are slightly declining, the Philippines
still has one of the highest adolescent birth rates among the ASEAN Member States.

Recent World Bank data shows that the Philippines has 47 births annually per 1,000
women aged 15-19, higher than the average adolescent birth rates of 44 globally and 33.5 in
the ASEAN region. This means that more than 500 Filipino adolescent girls are getting
pregnant and giving birth every day.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this measure is earnestly requested.

RUFUS B. IGUEZ



EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES _)
Second Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez

House Bill No. 9234

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE EVALUATION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROGRAMS IN ORDER
TO REDUCE THE RATE OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY

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 “Teenage Pregnancy Reduction Act.”

‘SECTION 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.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. — For purposes of this Act, the term:

(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 counseling 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;
and

(C) *Secretary’ means the Secretary of the Department of Health.

SECTION 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 form 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 feasibilty of replicating the programs in other locations.

SECTION 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, Department of Social Welfare
and Development, Department of Science and Technology, and the Population Commission;
and

(8) Provide for the participation of organizations with demonstrated expertise in conducting
evaluations of adolescent pregnancy prevention programs.


SECTION 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 socioeconomic, age groups and factors that are specific to gender,
and

(C) Meet such other criteria as the Secretary may establish.

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

SECTION 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 the
Congress that describes the findings made in the evaluation and provides recommendations
for future programs designed to reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancy.

SECTION 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, professional medical associations, entities providing public health services,
entities providing social work services, and school administrators.

SECTION 10. Rule of Construction. — The provisions of this Act apply with respect to
prevention programs without regard to which of the various programmatic approaches for the
prevention of pregnancy in adolescents is the focus of the program.

SECTION 11. Appropriation. — To carry out the provisions of this 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.

SECTION 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,

SECTION 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 are hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

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

Approved,