Gen.

Region IX – Zamboanga Peninsula

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in Practical Research

“The Effects of COVID-19 to the Teenage Pregnancy Rate in the

Proponents:
Vicky Lalaine A. Demoy
Jemmuel S. Aballe
John Carlo E. Tuñacao
Vishnah C. Ramchand
Wenligh Jayne T. Dadol
11 STEM HEISENBERG

Research Adviser:
JAY FAROFALDANE GABATA
 FEBRUARY 2022

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study:

The Philippines is one of the known most conservative countries in the world; it cannot

change the constructed perception that the country suffers from a high rate of teenage pregnancy

(CNN Philippines, 2021). 

Pregnancy in the teenage years is defined as occurring between the ages of thirteen and

nineteen (Dillon et al., 2018) when girls of that age are still studying. A global public health

issue, teenage pregnancy has negative consequences for birth outcomes and can perpetuate

intergenerational cycles of poverty and ill-health. More than any other setting, communities

experiencing social and economic disadvantage have a higher rate of teen pregnancies than those

in different settings. Teen pregnancy is a well-documented event with physical, emotional, and

psychosocial consequences (Pepito et al., 2021). Despite these risks, many adolescent Filipino

females continue to have unintended pregnancies. 

In the Philippines, particularly in poor rural areas, teens have had premarital sex, which

qualifies them to become teenage parents. According to the NDHS or National Demographic and

Health Survey of 2013, one in every ten young female Filipinos aged 15-19 has begun

childbearing: 8% are already mothers, while another 2% are expecting their first child

(Philippine Statistics Authority, 2022). National Statistics Office data reported that the number of

teenage pregnancies increased by 65 percent in the Philippines between 2000 and 2010

(Cosmopolitan Philippines, n.d.) Since the last few years, there have been numerous reported

cases of teenage pregnancy.

cause mild to severe respiratory issues, among other issues (World Health Organization, 2020).

On January 22, 2020, the Philippines' first suspected Coronavirus case investigation began

(Tropical Medicine and Health, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked unprecedented

devastation on children, families, and communities worldwide, causing widespread disruption of

essential services and putting millions of lives in danger (OCHA, 2020). From March 16, 2020,

up to the present, the entire country was placed under lockdown, known as "community

quarantine" (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2020). The lockdown also

prevented hundreds of thousands of women from accessing birth control, resulting in stories of

unplanned pregnancies (Johnson et al., 2020). 

Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, an estimated 214 000 unexpected babies will be born this

year, according to a study by the University of the Philippines Population Institute and the

United Nations Population Fund (Crisostomo, 2020). Accordingly, the continuous COVID-19

lockdowns as part of the precautionary measures the government has imposed, numerous women

have been denied access to time-sensitive maternal and reproductive health care, ranging from

frequent gynecological check-ups to prenatal care to abortion (Willie, 2021). Concerns have been

raised regarding young girls being vulnerable to early pregnancy since they are not in their usual

protective physical setting of the school environment (Daquioag, 2021).

The purpose of the study is to identify the risk factors for the surging teenage pregnancy

rate among Filipinos as perceived by the Grade 11 students of Zamboanga Chong Hua High

School students in response to calls for additional research on the said issue in the Philippines.
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