Over the past few decades, teenage pregnancy has become a public concern

which has generated a great deal of attention in the locality. Increasing

awareness of the social and economic consequences of teenage pregnancy has
led to a consensus opinion among policy makers and the public that teenage
pregnancy and child bearing is a significant social problem. It has been linked to
an array of other social issues, such as welfare dependency, child health and
well-being, out of wedlock births, fatherhood responsibility, child abuse and
neglect, school drop-out and workforce development. (Torivillas, The Philippine
Star, 2013).

There was a strong agreement that teenage pregnancy rate is still on the increase
and and every increased there has an additional consequences of abortions and
fetus losses and yet reducing the number of births by this age group remains an
important goal, Scott (1981).
The frequency of teenage pregnancy among the youth is alarming and has
become more or less a fact of life in many nations of the world including
Philippines. This remains both culturally deleterious and personally destructive.
Teenage pregnancy has lots of effects on Educational Development of teenagers
who are victims of this phenomenon. The Philippine government and other
religious institutions are studying every angle to look for ways to reduce untimely
pregnancy among teenager. These are many factors which have been
recognized by researchers and authors as being responsible for teenage
pregnancy. It has been noted and well documented that todays teenagers face
more sexual temptation than previous generations. They seem to be more aware
of sex and susceptible to the dangers of illicit sex. Todays society is more
bombarded with sexually oriented materials in the environment. The teenager are
more vulnerable to sexual temptations. Health and Home, Philippines, Pregnant
at 16, p.12-13 &22).

According to Eruesgbefe, (2005). Todays teenagers have become more

sexually active and promiscuous compared to their age mates of some thirty,
forty or fifty years ago in the Nigerian situation. He also asserted that, The
gradual departures from the traditions, customs and religious doctrine of the
different ethnic groups on the premise of civilization have been largely
responsible for this. Community and families must work hand in hand to shield
their teenagers against these phenomena. Increases in both health and social
problems are products of uncontrollable multiple sex partners among teenagers.
Mainly because the youth cannot control their emotional feelings, they rush into
untimely sex, in the belief that the act will be undetected.
According to Albano (2001). In the Philippines, usually in a family, this category
are not taught family life education by their parents and schools because of the
sensitivity of the issue, this is contrary to the wide assumption that family life
education is on. In practice, however, not much of sex education is taught in
every Filipino family. Existing government family planning programs have been
directed principally to married couples.

Maramag is still a growing community, cases of teenage pregnancy usually become

a big issue to the neighbors and to the whole community. The family of the victim
is in trauma discovering that their teenager was some months on her way
already. Almost everybody is blaming the pregnant teenager of the
consequences of her misdeeds. They focused their judgment to the victim but
they did not bother to ask why and what were behind of indulging sex at teens
and got pregnant not at the right time. The Philippine government through some
of its agencies like Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and
Department of Education (DepEd), introduced some strategies to minimize the
increasing cases of pregnancy as observed after a decade in the Philippines.
Sex education is being incorporated to the subject matters in school. RH bill
could be a big help to let the teenagers know how to act about sex. Filipino
families and communities is properly informed about their responsibilities to their
youngsters with regards to sex. While teenagers wherever they are must be
reached to educate and be well informed how to counter early pregnancy.

Religious sectors are also showing concerns about the teenagers by intensifying
the activities at the church and detour their interest while they are still young and
not yet prepare to face the consequences brought about early sex. The churches
now are also dont want to left behind on nurturing the youths by instilling to their
minds that early sex out of wed luck has consequences and the consequences
hurt more than waiting. (Health and Home pp.13,2003).
The researcher of this paper hope that after the study, she can impart some
important strategies and information she gained to the community, to the
teachers, school administrators, parents and to the teenagers on how to
minimize teenage pregnancy to students and out-of-school youth in Maramag,
Bukidnon.