MANILA, Philippines --- Malacañang on Friday encouraged parents and schools to exert more effort in guiding the youth on sex education as incidences of teenage pregnancies increased in the country.

Malacañang also encouraged the active participation of the Church in guiding the nation's youths.

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"Nananawagan po tayo sa mga magulang, kinakailangan po talagang gabayan ang ating mga kabataan. Ang ating mga eskwelahan, alam ko po na sa mga public schools eh nagbibigay naman po sila ng sex education, paigtingin pa po natin 'yan kasama ng health education," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.

(We are calling on the parents, we really need to guide our children. To our schools, I know in public schools there is sex education, let's strengthen that along with health education.)

"Kinakailangan po na pati ang simbahan, kinakailangan po talaga eh mas maging aktibo sa pagbibigay pangaral sa ating mga kabataan," he went on.

(Even the church needs to be active in giving guidance to our youth.)

The Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) said the number of children below 15 years old who had gotten pregnant doubled in 10 years from 1,000 in 2007 to 2,200 in 2018.

Due to the rise in teen pregnancies, PopCom expressed support to the proposed measure to raise the age for statutory rape.

Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri said raising the age of consent from the current 12 years old to 16 years old could help prevent adolescent pregnancies.

"Kung sa tingin po ng Kongreso na ang tamang polisiya ay itaas sa 16 ang age of minority for statutory rape purposes, rerespetuhin po 'yan ng gobyerno," Roque said.

(If Congress thinks it is the right policy to increase the age of statutory rape to 16, the government will respect that.)

KGA