[WATCH] Spilling the Tea, Episode 6: Preventing teen pregnancy

Instead of taking care of their studies, many Filipino teens end up taking care of their own children.

This is the bleak reality in the Philippines, as it tries to contain a teenage pregnancy crisis. The Commission on Population and Development has recorded about 1.2 million cases of teenage pregnancy in a span of 10 years, prompting it to call on President Rodrigo Duterte to declare it a national emergency.

The numbers are especially alarming considering how these minors will not only face a big shift in their lifestyle but also face health issues as their bodies are not yet fully developed for child-bearing.

Hoping to bring to light issues affecting women and the LGBTQ+ community, Rappler has partnered with SheDecides Philippines, a movement promoting the fundamental rights of adolescent girls and women, and SexAndSensibilities.com through webinar series “Spilling the Tea.”

In the final episode of the series, we talk about what we can do to help prevent teenage pregnancy, whether that’s through education or through policies.

This episode is hosted by Ana P. Santos, Rappler’s sex and gender columnist and founder of SexAndSensibilties.com; and Jona Turalde, a Guiding Group Member of SheDecides.

These are the guests for Spilling the Tea’s sixth episode:

• Precious Llasos – Young mom
• Amina Evangelista-Swanepoel – Executive Director, Roots of Health
• Erick Bernardo – Adolescent sexual and reproductive health program coordinator, Likhaan Center for Women’s Health
• Cha Roque – Mother and LGBTQ+ advocate
• Louria Joy Paragon – National Youth Representative, Family Planning Organization of the Philippines

The premiere of this episode will be on Thursday, November 26.

“Spilling the Tea” is brought to you by SheDecides Philippines. Join the movement and sign the manifesto here. Follow their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You may also join their Facebook community and share your insights with the hashtag #SheDecidesNOW on social media.

Check out other episodes of the “Spilling the Tea” series here:

• [WATCH] Spilling the Tea, Episode 1: Love and sex during lockdown
• [WATCH] Spilling the Tea, Episode 2: Pleasure for women, by women
• [WATCH] Spilling the Tea, Episode 3: My abortion story
• [WATCH] Spilling the Tea, Episode 4: Gender and sexuality
• [WATCH] Spilling the Tea, Episode 5: Online violence against women

– Rappler.com