The Adolescent Health and Development Program (AHD)

is one of the key component programs of the Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP).  The
overall goal of the AHD Program is to contribute to prevent early and repeated pregnancy.

 Reduce by half the proportion of adolescents who have begun childbearing

 Reduce by half the proportion of repeat pregnancies.

As the government agency tasked to manage the AHD Program, the Commission on Population and
Development (POPCOM) has the following strategies outlined in its Directional Plan:

 Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in schools and in alternative learning systems

(communities) using interactive and peer-to-peer communication strategies.
 Setting-up of an effective information and delivery network (ISDN) among institutions.
 Setting-up of functional and sustainable teen centers in every city and municipality.
 Enabling parents, youth leaders, and other adult groups to effectively guide adolescents in
forming responsible sexuality.
 Optimizing new information and communication technologies to reach out to adolescents in online
and digital media (e.g. social media).
 Enabling LGUs, CSOs, and private sector to improve access of adolescents to appropriate
reproductive health information and services.
 Developing and implementing local policies and programs to prevent exposure of adolescents to
risky behaviors (e.g. drinking, smoking, and drug use).

Moreover, POPCOM works hand in hand with other stakeholders in linking demand generation and
service delivery. With concerted efforts, necessary services and information which are crucial to the
development of the total well-being of young people will be made available wherever they go— home,
school, church and the community.

The State of the Philippine Population Report (SPPR)

  is an attempt to identify crucial population constraints to equitable development and to spell out
ways to overcome them. Population and development cover many interrelated issues and the
government has been responsive to the evolving nature of the policy problems. Consistent with the
commitments it made at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the
government formulated a restatement of the Philippine Population Management Program or PPMP.
The primary concerns have been broadened from mere family planning to reproductive health and
rights, women empowerment, adolescent health, and children’s rights and welfare.

SPPR1 The State of the Philippine Population Report (SPPR) is an attempt to identify crucial
population constraints to equitable development and to spell out ways to overcome them. One such
constraint is the inability of couples to realize their desired family size.

SPPR2  It is our responsibility to address the needs of today’s youth. They had not chosen to be born,
but they need choices to move on to a brighter future.
Download: SPPR 2 Pinoy Youth Making Choices Building Voices

SPPR3 The State of the Philippine Population Report 2004 entitled “Urbis 5: Making Cities Work”
seeks to explain this relationship and recommends responsive policy interventions that, if
implemented, would contribute to good governance and the improved quality of life of Filipinos.

SPPR4 This fourth issue of the State of the Philippine Population Report (SPPR) attempts to look more
deeply into the population and development dimensions of overseas labor migration. How do Filipino
international labor movements relate to the population factors and events in the country? Is
population a factor in the migrants’ decision to leave and work in foreign lands? And, in turn, how
does overseas labor migration affect the population situation in the country? These are some of the
questions that SPPR 4 seeks to answer.
Download: SPPR 4 Filipino Beyond Borders Population and Development Dimensions of Overseas
Labor Migration

SPPR5  Hence, the fifth issue of the State of the Philippine Population Report (SPPR5) focuses on the
need for an integrated population health-environment (PHE) approach, and calls on all sectors to
come together and consolidate efforts to address these interrelated concerns.
Download: SPPR 5 Seeking a Healthy Balance Population, Health, and Environment Integration

SPPR6 The number of Filipino mothers dying from pregnancy and childbirth continues to rise. The
reasons why mothers die range from clinical, physical and geographical to social, cultural, economic
and political. With the enactment of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law, many
of these factors can be addressed. But the mere presence of the law is not enough. There has to be
determination and commitment on the part of all stakeholders, a recognition of what needs to be
done, and a strong will to create a truly healthy environment for women without the attendant risks
of pregnancy and childbirth.
Download: SPPR 6 Maternal Mortality Status and Key Issues in the Philippines Key Challenges for the
RP-RH Law (RA 10354) Implementation
POPCOM to pursue programs elevating
Pinoy families’ quality of life: As PHL’s
100 millionth symbolic babies turn 7 in
the ‘new normal’

The Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) vows to pursue

appropriate strategies and interventions ensuring every Filipino family will have the
capacity to enhance their quality of living amid increasing population numbers and a
surging pandemic.

It plans to achieve such by working together with relevant partners, stakeholders and
the academe, covering the whole of government, as well as the public and private
sectors.

POPCOM marks today, July 27, the seventh birthdays of 100 Filipino children whose
birth anniversaries signaled the Philippines surpassing its population count of 100
million in 2014. Since their deliveries in state hospitals seven years ago, the agency has
considered the birthdays of the said children as significant. They symbolize the
country’s growing populace and the numerous challenges it poses to a government with
modest resources in providing for the welfare and wellbeing of every child.

In response, Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan Antonio Perez III,
MD, MPH emphasized that the improvement in the quality of lives of Filipino families is
not only the lookout of the government, but the entire Philippine society as well, which is
in accordance with the current administration’s commitment for every citizen to have a
stable, comfortable and secure life, or “Matatag, Maginhawa at Panatag na Buhay.”

“The additional 9 million Filipinos since the birth of these children calls for the entire
government to implement programs that promote inclusive growth, ensuring that no one
is left behind.”

He likewise shared that national and local governments have measures in place to
safeguard and promote a Filipino child’s welfare and wellbeing, as well as interventions
that protect kids from serious health and development concerns.

POPCOM and its regional offices are continuously working closely with various local
government units and the national government in monitoring the growth and
development of the “symbolic Pinoy children,” now that they are entering elementary
school and beginning to exhibit signs of personal independence.
“As the government responds to the needs of Filipino families, especially in terms of
health and education during the health crisis and a growing young population,
POPCOM continues to address the most significant and emerging issues surrounding
their capacities as contributors to national development and its pursuit of the elusive
‘demographic dividend,’ with our children, of course, factored-in into the equation,”
Perez noted.
World Population Day 2021: PHL has 8M
FP users amid Covid’s barriers on
sexual health, rights

The Covid-19 pandemic has critically compromised the protection of sexual and
reproductive health rights (SRHR) of women and girls all over the world—including the
Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region.

This was the consensus of health leaders and stakeholders from this part of the world,
as the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) and the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA)-Philippines recently commemorated World Population Day
2021, with “Dynamic Demographics: Prioritizing sexual and reproductive health and
rights of people” as the theme.

In an online event, the UNFPA revealed a recent study stating that millions of women
continue to experience restrictions in accessing family planning services due to the
imposition of local community lockdowns. The condition could lead to an increase in the
number of unplanned pregnancies, specifically within the marginalized sector of the
Philippine society. In addition, the situation may cause an upsurge in the number of
gender-based violence cases.

Nationwide, POPCOM said reproductive health and family planning services were
feared to be severely impaired in certain urban areas.

Despite these uncertainties, Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan

Antonio A. Perez III, MD, MPH disclosed that 8,085,000 women and men were able to
obtain modern family planning services in 2020: an increase of almost 4 percent in
family planning users in the country.

With the health crisis continuing to bear down on the fertility choices of women and
altering key demographic indicators of countries within Asia-Pacific, the commission and
the UN agency will be implementing key strategies that will strengthen policies and
programs related to the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of women and
girls all over the country.

The local commemoration of World Population Day 2021 on July 13 called for action
and support from the Philippine government and all duty bearers. It also served as a
venue to commend the innovative strategies of Philippine government protecting the
SRHR of women and girls in the midst of the pandemic, especially on the call of
POPCOM for uninterrupted services for family planning despite the community
quarantines.
USAID, DOH, POPCOM boost parent-
teen interactions; via social media to
address early pregnancies

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of
Health (DOH), and the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM)
recently formed a nationwide campaign to address the alarming rate of teenage
pregnancies in the Philippines.

Dubbed as “Konektado Tayo,” the campaign aims to bridge the communications gap
between Filipino parents and their adolescent children, particularly those concerning
adolescent sexuality and development. Formally launched on July 22, “Konektado
Tayo” will use Facebook as the primary platform to reach the above-mentioned target
audiences and help improve their quality of conversations about love, sexuality, and
relationships.

Along with the DOH, the three agencies aim to achieve “three Es” through the
campaign: 1) Encourage Filipino parents of teenagers to communicate with their
children about topics on love, sexuality, and relationships; 2) Equip the adults with the
knowledge and skills to feel confident about the information they will share with their
children on relevant topics; and 3) Enable parents to build their teens’ values and life
skills which they will need as they transition to adulthood.

Undersecretary for Population and Development (POPDEV) Juan Antonio Perez

III, MD, MPH explained. “If Facebook is where our young citizens obtain information on
almost anything and everything about the world around them, then we made certain
through Konektado Tayo that they could  get their initial information on sexuality
through reliable sources, with proper guidance and contextualization, within the same
platform.”

The POPCOM chief cited the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality study, which showed
that only 10% of Filipino youth reported discussing sexuality in their homes, and that
young people are likely to consult their peers for questions about the subject.

In their POPDEV work in the local setting, Perez shared that parents are expected to be
the primary sources of information about love, relationships, and sexuality-related
issues. However, they are usually uncomfortable and not equipped to discuss these
topics with their adolescent children, as a culture of shame and embarrassment in such
conversations discourages open and effective communication between adults and their
adolescent children. Without proper guidance, the latter are exposed to inaccurate
information that oftentimes can lead to risky behaviors.
According to the DOH, parents play a critical role as main educators in making their
children realize and achieve their full potential, so that they can complete their
education and create opportunities for a better future.
As Philippine population reaches 109M
in 2020… POPCOM calls on government,
partners to intensify devt programs

With about 1.6 million Filipinos added annually to the country’s population in the last five
years, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) recently urged the
government to implement far-reaching and holistic approaches to further strengthen
population and development programs on the ground.

This was POPCOM’s call after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released on
Wednesday the latest Census of Population, when the latter announced the country’s
population in 2020 at 109,035,906, which includes the addition of 8,053,906 persons
from 2015.

Weighing in on the country’s updated population figures, Undersecretary for Population

and Development Juan Antonio Perez III, MD, MPH pointed to slower population growth
as a result of lower fertility rate, as many Filipino women opt for smaller families.

POPCOM’s executive director however pointed out that there are some areas such as
the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Central Luzon
and CALABARZON that continue to see significant increase in population.

Particularly, Perez cited the population numbers in the Bangsamoro Region, which grew
to 4,404,208 from 2015 to 2020, and had the fastest annual population growth rate
(PGR) at 3.16%. This translated to about 31 persons added per year for every 1,000
persons in the said area’s population.

In terms of absolute numbers, CALABARZON gained the most population, with an

additional 1,780,268 persons from 2015.

On the other hand, Eastern Visayas posted the lowest PGR among all Philippine
regions at 0.50%, with numerous municipalities—particularly in Northern Samar,
Western Samar and South Leyte—which tallied negative PGRs. The Cordillera
Administrative Region was at second, with a 0.91% PGR.

Interestingly, the National Capital Region posted the third-lowest PGR among regions at
0.97% from 2015 to 2020. Among its cities, Valenzuela had the highest PGR of 3.03%.
A notable contrast was the negative PGR of Navotas, which was 0.16%.
The POPDEV undersecretary theorized that the country’s capital region, which in 2020
was hit hardest by the pandemic, grew at the slowest rate this century, compared to
1.78 and 1.58 in the 2010 and 2015 population censuses.

 The country’s PGR of 1.63% between 2015 and 2020 was lower compared with that of
2010 and 2015, which was 1.72%. The PSA report revealed the majority of the
Philippine population resides in Luzon (57%), followed by Mindanao (24%), and the
Visayas (19%).

While the growth in the population remains primarily driven by fertility or number of live
births, albeit decreasing, the POPCOM chief also noted that since the census was
conducted during the pandemic, the return migration of overseas Filipino workers to the
country may also have contributed to the movement in the Philippines’ population count.
POPCOM hails Pres. Duterte for signing
EO 141

The Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) praised President

Rodrigo Roa Duterte for enacting Executive Order (EO) 141, which prioritizes the
implementation of measures addressing adolescent pregnancies in the country and
mobilizes government agencies for the said purpose.

The Chief Executive signed EO 141 on June 25 and was published on June 29 in the
Official Gazette, making it effective after two weeks, or on July 10. The action of the
President effectively focuses the attention of the government on the issue of
pregnancies among adolescents in the Philippines, which is currently labeled as an
“urgent national priority” by POPCOM’s Board of Commissioners, headed by
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua.

The order adopts as a national policy the implementation of measures to tackle the root
causes of the rising number of young Filipinos giving birth. It also includes interventions
for the prevention of adolescent pregnancies such as comprehensive sexuality
education, education and employment opportunities for the young, as well as health
promotion through media and communication platforms.”

It also calls for youth and community mobilization, as Sanggunian Kabataan units are
also enjoined “to develop interventions and prevent all known causes of adolescent
pregnancies” while supporting adolescent mothers.

The EO invokes the National Youth Council to “establish a forum for continuing dialogue
between the government and the youth sector on…proper planning and evaluation of
policies, programs and projects affecting the youth.”

POPCOM as implementer. For its part, POPCOM is directed by EO 141 “to continue to

educate leaders, parents and other community members about evidence-based
strategies to reduce, if not eliminate, adolescent pregnancy, and improve adolescent
reproductive health”

As such, POPCOM may call upon any department, bureau, office, agency or
instrumentality of the government for assistance, and  shall submit such a plan to the
HDPR (Human Development and Poverty Reduction) Cabinet Cluster as the President
directed.

Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan Antonio Perez III, MD, MPH said
that the signing of EO 141 manifests the national government’s deep concern for the
most vulnerable during this pandemic. They include minors who had unplanned or
unintended pregnancies, which lead to the most vulnerable single-parent families during
the pandemic.