The Commission on Population and Development said of the 8,787 adolescent pregnancies in Western Viyasas in 2022, Negros Occidental ranked No. 1 with 3,305.
CPD-Region VI raised the alarm on rising cases of pregnant adolescents aged 19 and below in a post on its Facebook page.
It also stressed the importance of advancing Adolescent Health and Development (AHD) in every LGU as part of the localization strategy of the Philippine Population and Development-Plan of Action (PPD-POA) 2023-2028.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that the total registered live births among adolescent mothers (19 years old and under) in Western Visayas increased in 2022 with 8,787 out of the 89,901 total live births, or 9.77 percent from 9.10 percent in 2020, the CPD reported.
Among the provinces in Western Visayas, Negros Occidental, ranked first with 3,305 adolescent live births, followed by Iloilo with 2,390 cases, Capiz with 973 cases, Aklan with 694 cases Antique with 555, and Guimaras with 232 cases.
For highly urbanized cities (HUCs), Iloilo City recorded 382 cases and Bacolod- 256 cases in 2022.
CPD-Region VI called for collaboration among partner government agencies, civil society organizations, and communities in advancing Adolescent Health Development in the PPD-POA 2023-2028.*