NG creates council to stem rise in teenage pregnancy.

The national government (NG) on Monday bared the creation of the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Inter-Agency Council (APPIAC) to prevent the further increase in teen pregnancies across the country.

The council, led by the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), seeks to create a national policy for the prevention of teenage pregnancies and provide social protection for teenage parents.

The APPIAC will spearhead the creation and conduct of programs and policies to find definitive solutions to the multi-dimensional nature of teen childbearing, deemed by the government as a 'national social emergency.'

'The council is expected to devise policies and programs centered not only on the prevention of the issue but also the provision of social protection measures including counseling, maternal health care and post-delivery care of Filipino girls who have already begun childbearing,' CPD said.

The CPD will also create adolescent-friendly health facilities following norms of the Department of Health (DOH) and for schools to employ trained faculty and staff members on adolescent health and development (AHD).

The CPD will collaborate closely with the DOH for the young parents' overall well-being, the Department of Social Welfare and Development for their social protection, the Department of Education for the Comprehensive Sexual Education's nationwide implementation as part of their academic curriculum, plus the Department of the Interior and Local Government to ensure local government units' involvement in the strategic programs, among others.

Ex-officio members of the council will comprise senior officials of the agencies mentioned, including the Philippine Commission on Women, National Youth Commission, Commission on Higher Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The Council will also include two members from civil society organizations or women's rights groups; an adolescent and a youth representative from nationally represented organizations; and plus chairpersons of the leagues of provinces, cities, and municipalities.

'The implication of adolescent pregnancies does not...