ILOILO — Amid a historic decline in fertility rates in Western Visayas, alarming trends are emerging among the region’s youth: a surge in adolescent pregnancies and a steep rise in HIV/AIDS cases are threatening the health and future of the younger population.
The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) Region 6 sounded the alarm as 7,774 live births were recorded in 2023 among girls aged 10 to 19, including cases from Negros Occidental and Bacolod City (now part of the Negros Island Region).
The figure includes a shocking childbirth by an 11-year-old in Iloilo province and reports of a fatal delivery by a nine-year-old girl — an incident not even reflected in official statistics, raising concerns over underreporting and data gaps.
“We have the numbers — rising adolescent births, falling fertility rates — but behind each statistic is a young person whose choices are constrained,” said CPD-6 director Harold Alfred Marshall. “This World Population Day, let’s recommit to equipping our youth with data-driven policies and services so they can create the families they truly want.”
A detailed age breakdown of adolescent births in 2023 paints a disturbing picture:
* one childbirth from an 11-year-old
* six from 12-year-olds
* 25 from 13-year-olds
* 117 from 14-year-olds
* 397 from 15-year-olds
* 864 from 16-year-olds
* 1,434 from 17-year-olds
* 2,131 from 18-year-olds
* 2,799 from 19-year-olds
Negros Occidental posted the highest number of adolescent births at 2,699, followed by Iloilo with 2,228, Capiz with 930, Aklan with 671, Antique with 461, and Guimaras with 230. Highly urbanized cities like Iloilo City and Bacolod City recorded 355 and 200 adolescent births, respectively.
Meanwhile, HIV and AIDS cases in the region continue to escalate at an alarming rate. According to the Department of Health (DOH), reported cases jumped from 2,953 in 2020 to 5,070 in 2023.
Cumulatively, from 1986 to 2023, the region logged 7,603 cases, with the youth bearing the brunt of the epidemic.
DOH data show the following age-group breakdown:
* age 15 to 24 – 2,197 cases
* age 25 to 34 – 3,825 cases
* age 35 to 49 – 1,341 cases
* age 50 and above – 222 cases
* age 15 and below – 17 cases
“Di gid manigar nga adolescent pregnancy is everywhere. These figures reflect and pose a challenge for the youth to make free, informed choices on their reproductive health due to lack of resources, access, and support,” Marshall said.
In response, CPD-6 is implementing “AHlam Na! 3.0,” a youth-centered initiative that pushes for comprehensive sexuality education, better access to reproductive health services, and a more inclusive and gender-sensitive database to inform policymaking.
The paradox: while the total fertility rate in Western Visayas has dropped to 1.57 children per woman — far below the 2.1 replacement level needed for a stable population — adolescent pregnancies and HIV infections are on the rise, underscoring the need for urgent interventions targeted at the youth sector.
The 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFSS) revealed that young people make up 18.3 percent of the region’s population. With this sizable demographic, CPD-6 emphasized the urgent need to address the information and service gaps that hinder young people’s ability to make informed, empowered choices about their reproductive health./PN
