Thread: Philippines Only Country in Asia Where Teen Pregnancy Rising

MANILA—
The Philippines is the only Asia-Pacific country where the rate of teen pregnancies rose over the last two decades and the slow decline of its overall fertility rate may deprive the country of the faster economic growth expected in places that have more working-age people than younger and older dependents, the U.N. Population Fund said Thursday.

Girls aged 15 to 19 make up 10 percent of the country's population of 100 million and one out of 10 of them have already given birth, UNFPA country representative Klaus Beck said. That fertility rate in that age group is 57 births for every 1,000 girls as of 2013 _ higher than rates found by surveys every five years from 1998.

He emphasized the urgency of fully implementing a reproductive health law, investing in quality education and health services for teenage girls, and increasing jobs for youth.

The cost of not finishing high school education over the lifetime of young people would be equivalent to about 1 percent of the country gross domestic product, he added.

The study supported by UNFPA found that “due to the slow reduction in the fertility rate the country may not be able to benefit fully from the demographic dividend,” or the balance of its population among children, working-age adults (age 15 to 65) and elderly. It said the window of time to reap economic benefits from the favorable demographics was closing fast.

The Philippines' total fertility rate was 3 births per woman as of 2013, falling at a slow pace of 1.6 percent per year from 7 births per woman in 1960. But the poorest quintile of the population has a higher fertility rate of 5.2 births per woman as of 2013.

“With the right policies and investments in human capital, countries can empower young people to drive economic and social development and boost per-capita incomes,” Beck said.

Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the administration of new President Rodrigo Duterte will ensure quality education for the youth and full implement of the reproductive health law that guarantees universal access to methods of contraception, sexual education, and maternal care. The Supreme Court ruled the law was constitutional in 2013 but a year later it banned dispensing of subdermal implants, a popular birth control method because it is long-term and safe for breastfeeding women.

Pernia said the government aims to reduce poverty by 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent each year, and a big push for that would be to reduce the number of children among the poorest people, citing surveys that show those couples have more children than they wanted.

Philippines Only Country in Asia Where Teen Pregnancy Rising

Hail Mary, Full of Grace.....Thank you Blessed Virgin.
Thank you Papa Francis for insisting that I don't use contraception even though I can't afford to feed my first child, let alone this fifth one.
Your flock has increased. Future tithes will be forthcoming.

I have just heard first hand that on the mandatory merriage seminar by the catholic church a young couple was told that 15 children are a very good thing.

^My neighbor's kid said exactly the same thing.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

My neighbor's kid said exactly the same thing.

A desperate situation. I find it amazing how ambiguous the position of people on the catholic faith is. I know no one who does not despise the clergy, often right up to the pope. That does not stop them however from being devout catholics.

^Indeed. My wife never sets foot in church, ran a bunch of scavenging nuns out of our garden with a shotgun, and thinks all priests are kiddy fiddlers.

Yet she had one in for a "house blessing" when we completed our house.

Originally Posted by Takeovers

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

My neighbor's kid said exactly the same thing.

A desperate situation. I find it amazing how ambiguous the position of people on the catholic faith is. I know no one who does not despise the clergy, often right up to the pope. That does not stop them however from being devout catholics.

Nothing, whatsoever, to do with perceived morals or ethics.

All about increasing the numbers and indocrination, at any cost - therefore the profits.
Business is business.


Cults.

"Philippines Only Country in Asia Where Teen Pregnancy Rising"

Aside from commenting on the Catholic issue, (that's just too easy)...I'm surprised that Thailand's teen pregnancy rate isn't also rising.
I suspect under-reporting in Thailand's case.

The church frowns on contraception , No divorce. Combined with a 100 million population now and an uneven male to female ratio. ( there's more girls than guys) it doesn't surprise me. Plus there damn good looking girls, The brown outs might have a bit to do with the pregnancys to though? What you gonna do when your watching an episode of marimar and the power goes of? Shag the missus of course.

^ BLD, you were here when Marimar was showing? Lol! They don't show Mexican or Argentinian soap operas anymore (to my knowledge). After a while, they stopped buying the Latin American soaps because they had too many torrid kissing scenes. lol They now prefer Korean soaps (bcos they're more conservative in terms of sex/kissing & violence) and if the story becomes famous, local networks will pay the rights to make their own version of it. That's one reason why tourism to Korea is popular among the hi-so & middle class (and the relative ease of getting a K visa).

Back to the issue, I'm a Catholic, but am in favor of contraception. It's just not economically sustainable to have 15 kids! Because of too many people - 100M and counting - there's not enough jobs for everyone. Thus, many people go to the foreign worker route - seamen, maids, bargirls, factory or construction workers, or nurses, teachers, engineers, etc. I met some Pinoy teachers (working in Laos) on the bus from Vientiane to Thailand. Pinoys are everywhere. The ability to speak English (good or bad) is a plus.

Pinoys are Catholic just as Thais or Laos are Buddhists. It's ingrained in the system. Same-same but different. I have friends and colleagues who are educated, middle class & Catholic, but practice contraception. No problem with the middle class, it's the poor who breed like rabbits. Hopefully, with the RH (Reproductive Health) Law in effect, there'll be a decrease in the birth rate. But that won't be felt until some years pass. <sigh>

Do you have any kids Katie?

I hope for your sake that your not round BLD's manor when there's a power cut

Originally Posted by Maanaam

"Philippines Only Country in Asia Where Teen Pregnancy Rising"

Aside from commenting on the Catholic issue, (that's just too easy)...I'm surprised that Thailand's teen pregnancy rate isn't also rising.
I suspect under-reporting in Thailand's case.

Somehow I suspect Thai ethics enable them to do things about pregnancy that Flippers can't - Flippers are probably more likely to believe they will burn in hell for sin; Thais probably believe they're already in hell, and sin is the best way to make a living.

Originally Posted by Dillinger

Do you have any kids Katie?

I hope for your sake that your not round BLD's manor when there's a power cut

Bring on that brown out , lol

The Catholic Church needs to be forcible silenced by whatever means needed from telling the most vulnerable and ignorant people on Earth that some imaginary god wants them to reproduce like rabbits.

Global warming and most all environmental problems are of the same cause; there are too many people on Earth.

Originally Posted by BobR

The Catholic Church needs to be forcible silenced by whatever means needed from telling the most vulnerable and ignorant people on Earth that some imaginary god wants them to reproduce like rabbits.

Global warming and most all environmental problems are of the same cause; there are too many people on Earth.

And don't forget: Don't wear a condom, much better to die of AIDS than to disobey the Pope's edict.

@bld & dillinger: 55

Originally Posted by Takeovers

I have just heard first hand that on the mandatory merriage seminar by the catholic church a young couple was told that 15 children are a very good thing.

Fook me!!!.... even the 4x2s don't aim that high! it must be some sort of recruitment drive for the Popdephiles.

My wife is the youngest of eleven......

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

My wife is the youngest of eleven......

must be a bastid having to send all those Easter cards, Birthday Cards, Christmas Cards... let alone the presents!

^No worries. We only see one occasionally. Only kind of close with two or three.