THE EFFECTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF

THE YOUTH IN PUROK MUDIA LABANGAL, GENERAL SANTOS CITY

A Research Proposal
Presented to the Faculty of Social Work

Cronasia Foundation College, Inc.

Andres Dizon Building, Pioneer, Avenue
General Santos City, 9501

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

of Bachelor of Science in Social Work

By:

TEAM HAWUD
March 6, 2019
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

Background of the Study 1–2

Statement of the Problem 3

Significance of the Study 3–4

Scope and Delimitation 5

CHAPTER II

Review of related literature 6 -8

Theoretical Framework/ Conceptual Framework 9

Definition of Terms 9 – 10
 Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Teenage pregnancy is one of the common problems in our society today.

In developed and developing countries, teenage pregnancy continued to receive
increased attention because of the early age at which adolescents engage in
sexual activity or premarital sex. Teenage pregnancy usually out of wedlock has
been observed as a social problem and is becoming very rampant in our
societies. Teenage pregnancy has become a national epidemic as the country is
experiencing analarming escalation of teenage pregnancy and this is a serious
problem on which the adolescence pregnancy is an important issue for several
reasons (Kutu, 2010). Unpreparedness of this thing like carrying a child without
proper measures, the health risks often compromising for the baby and children
born to teenage mothers are more likely to suffer health, social, and emotional
problems than children born to older mothers. Mostly, women who become
pregnant during their teens are at increased risk for medical complications, such
as premature labor, poor health and social consequences. It is the responsible
for the high mortality rate of teenage girls, unwanted pregnancy and unplanned
parenthood and the disruption of education careers of teenager in our society.

There are lots of studies appearing that teenager with the age bracket
between of 14 and 19 years old becomes a mother and it is a period in life which
is described by some as the age of experimentation (Fenn and Lantos, 2015).
Within this age range, teenagers involve themselves in various experiences of
life, mostly if not properly guided by the parents teenagers ranging from pre-
marital served activities to other deviant activities, such as taking of hard drugs,
alcohol and smoking, and taking too much time in peers or outside their homes.
The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines teenage hood as the process
through which an individual goes through the transition from the stage of
childhood to that of adulthood. This is a vital foundation that lays between
maturity and experimental age out of their curiosity. Parenthood is an event that
radically affects the life of the mother. The demands of a child simply cannot be
ignored without risk. If a parent is not emotionally and financially stable, the
resources might not be given to the child needs and it is consider a major
problem of the family. Factors affecting teenage pregnancy are not only drives
and experimentation of a teenager, there are also cultures and orientation of the
family that engages early marriage, early settlement of their children and also the
environmental factors that influence much of the individual's life. Sanderatitz and
Paxman (1985) sees teenage hood as one which may vary from one culture to
the other, as long as certain recognized criteria like those of an adult do not
manifest themselves.
This stage is characterized by efforts made to reach social, physical,
mental, emotional development (Elder, 1980). Thus, psychologically speaking
teen mothers are more likely deprived with their life situation such as carrying a
responsibility rather than enjoying their growth, focusing on their children instead
of facing their studies and experiencing more on life-serious-matter problem than
being chill with their own selves as teenagers.
Statement of the Problem

This study is to look for possible effects of the youth of teenage pregnancy
in Purok Mudia Labangal, General Santos City.

The key aims of the research are the following:

1. To assess the youth how importance the education is. Give proper
seminars to the parents about educational development of their children,
and the effective use of the family planning.

2. Assess how the adolescence pregnancy gives impact to the life of the
youth. Plan prevention and evaluate the cause and effect.

It is hoped that the solutions suggested in this study would be useful in

controlling the escalating rate of teenage pregnancy by educating the whole
family for this matter. Using this Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning and the
impact of teenage pregnancy on teenage mothers gives them more on
understanding the issue.

Significance of the study

The study about teen pregnancy in Purok Mudia will be conducted to the
extent of how these problems affect the the growth and life of the teenagers.
There are many different ways that can cause teen pregnancy. The emerging
field of parenting culture studies has begun to develop an analysis of the key
features of policy, practice and informal culture. The Journal of ASEAN
Federation of Endocrine Societies shows the results from cumulative years of
the National Demographic and Health Survey and the latest result of the 2011
Family Health Survey, shows that teenage pregnancy in the Philippines,
measured as the proportion of women who have begun childbearing in their teen
years, has been steadily rising over a 35-year period. These teenage mothers
are predominantly poor, reside in rural areas and have low educational
attainment. Family planning has discussed about these matter which mostly at
the center for prenatal check up are teens. The development of ‘parental
tribalism’ whereby differing parental choices and behaviour become a site for
identity formation; the idea of a deficit at the level of parenting and intimate
familial relationships; the reconceptualising of the parent as an autonomous,
authoritative adult to a more infantilised imagining. The teenage mother, herself
neither adult nor child, becomes emblematic of these developments. (ASEAN
Federation Journal, 2005).

These are the factors that causes teenage pregnancy in Purok Mudia
Labangal, General Santos City.

Family. The type of family orientation they have inside their homes. Low
moral and low aspiration of life. Education is not really necessary for them
because poverty is not their aspect of motivation. Family planning is not
introduce to their youth.

Community. The environment they have is rural, surrounded by different

diverse tribe. Crowded and composed of many nuclear families living in one lot.
Teen mothers are everywhere.

Peers. The type of friends they have are the same as the situation of
getting pregnant at the early age. And having baby or engaging in sexual activity
is just normal. Some of the students and out of school youth groups are not
aware about sex education and how important to finish schooling rather than
handling a big responsibility in life.

Culture. Early marriage, adolescence pregnancy is some kind of normal

thing or issue within the family. The problems begin when the health and the
resources are beinh compromised. This basically serves as their culture or belief
that since their children are at puberty stage and having intimate with their
boyfriends is unstoppable rather than guiding their children into studies and other
recreational activities.

Social Media. Watching movies or any sexual activity videos through

social media can risk a teenager to engage more on possibilities of getting
pregnant or sex experimentation out of their curiosity. The mass media with its
sexualized content is another contributing factor that perpetuates teenage
pregnancies as it gives teenagers easy access to pornographic, adult television
programmes and multimedia text messages. (UFA, 2011)
Scope and Delimitation

The teenage pregnancy is a social problem that develops dysfunction of a

social role especially for women or teens. Teenage pregnancy is a public health
concern in both developed and developing countries. (Vincent and Alemu, 2016)
it is defined as any pregnancy that ends before the age of 20 years. About 16
million girls aged 15 to 19 years old give birth each year, which is about 11% of
all births worldwide], and this does not include births among girls aged under 15
years. (According to Watts, Liamputtong and Mcmichael, 2015) Motherhood is a
significant and important aspect of life for many women around the globe. For
women in communities where motherhood is highly desired, motherhood is
considered crucial to the woman’s identity. Teenage motherhood, occurring at a
critical developmental stage of teenagers’ lives, has been identified as having
adverse social and health consequences.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Overview of Teenage Pregnancy

The teenage pregnancy is a social problem that develops dysfunction of a

social role especially for women or teens. Teenage pregnancy is a public health
concern in both developed and developing countries. (Vincent and Alemu, 2016)
it is defined as any pregnancy that ends before the age of 20 years. About 16
million girls aged 15 to 19 years old give birth each year, which is about 11% of
all births worldwide], and this does not include births among girls aged under 15
years. (According to Watts, Liamputtong and Mcmichael, 2015) Motherhood is a
significant and important aspect of life for many women around the globe. For
women in communities where motherhood is highly desired, motherhood is
considered crucial to the woman’s identity. Teenage motherhood, occurring at a
critical developmental stage of teenagers’ lives, has been identified as having
adverse social and health consequences.

The Global Trend of Teenage Pregnancy

Globally, teenage pregnancy remains a public health concern. Teenage

pregnancy and parenthood is a complex contemporary issue. Although current
statistical evidence collected within the European Union (EU) and the USA
suggests that absolute numbers of teenage mothers are falling, the number of
infants born to young mothers is still large and the number of recorded
conceptions even larger (Holgate, Evans and Yuen, 2006). The study shows the
concepts of risk, vulnerability and protection have come to dominate the literature
concerned with interventions designed to improve the life chances of children
born into potentially disadvantaging circumstances. Research over more than 30
years has revealed the potentially disadvantaging outcomes for a child born to a
teenage or young mother. These transcend the practical impacts of poverty that
arguably are shared by all unsupported mothers who cope alone. A
multidisciplinary research literature points up the possible risks to the young
child, which include academic underachievement, general immaturity, emotional
and behavioural difficulties and disrupted social relations. (Holgate, Evans and
Yuen, 2006). Adolescence is the age of sexual debut. It lies after puberty,
between 14-20 years,including the time of beginning of sexual life. Sexuality is an
attractive, mysterious field, often prohibited by parents, society, school or other
educational factors. As the media have developed, the broad field of sexuality
has become more lax (Simigui, 2012). Sexual intercourse without adequate
contraception leads to pregnancy. In the situation of an unwanted pregnancy,
adolescents have three options: abortion, child placed for adoption or keeping it
(Simugui, 2012). The World Health Organisation (WHO, 2006) defines teenage
pregnancy as a ‘teenaged or underaged girl (usually within the ages of 13–19)
becoming pregnant.’ The term usually refers to women who become pregnant,
who have not reached legal adulthood; legal adulthood varies in different
countries. The term teenage pregnancy is widely used however, to mean
unmarried adolescent girls who become pregnant ( Hayward, 2011).

The Outbreak of Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines

Seventeenth Congress of the Republica of the Philippines, S. B. No. 1482

Introduced by Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros- Baraquel An act
providing for a national policy in preventing teenage pregnancies,
institutionalizing social protection for teenage parents, and providing funds
therefore explanatory note; The Constitution. Article II. Section 13 provides that:
The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation- building and shall
promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well -
being. It shall include in the youth patriotism and nationalism and encourage their
involvement in public and civic affairs (PSA, 2017).

It has been stated that the Philippines is compared to South African

people when it comes to teenage pregnancy considered one of the major social
problems. Results from cumulative years of the National Demographic and
Health Survey and the latest result of the 2011 Family Health Survey, shows that
teenage pregnancy in the Philippines, measured as the proportion of women who
have begun childbearing in their teen years, has been steadily rising over a 35-
year period. These teenage mothers are predominantly poor, reside in rural
areas and have low educational attainment (Natividad, 2013). The Philippines
has the opportunity to reap huge benefits from the so-called “demographic
dividend,” whereby a falling fertility rate results in smaller families, with better-
educated children who contribute more to the economy as adults. But religious
and cultural norms are holding back progress (http.inquirer.com). After a 15-year
battle through Congress, the national government passed the Responsible
Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act in 2012. It was still on a debate base
on religious action about the issues and promoting sex education has banned
since 2015 because of the sensitivity of the issue since the cultural Filipino
pattern is a way conservative (http.inquirer.rhbill.pH).

A general approach for analyzing the effect of early childbearing on

lifetime earnings is to first examine the effect of early childbearing on education,
and then using an earnings function where wage rates are determined by
education, experience (proxied by age) and other factors representing labor
market conditions, estimate the effect of lower education on earnings resulting
from early childbearing (Chaaban and Cunningham, 2011) The reviews of the
study show that educational and family background, environmental factors and
economic status of the family affects the teenage pregnancy (Herrin, 2016).
UNICEF also release the statement of getting pregnant of the early age is mostly
influence by mass and social media (http.UNICEF.com.) In a study conducted by
the National Demographic and Health Survey in 2013, one out of every young
Filipino women age 15 to 19 is already a mother or pregnant with a first child
(Salvador, Sauce, Alvarez and Rosario, 2016).

Teenage pregnancy in the Philippines is on the rise. In fact, the data

derived from the Certificates of Live Births submitted by the Local Civil Registry
Offices from 2011 to 2014 show that about one in every ten women of child-
bearing age was a teenager, and there were 24 babies born every hour by
teenage mothers ( Philippines Statistics Authority, 2016).In 2011, Region XI
recorded the highest percentage of teenage women who gave birth (14.4%)
followed by Region II (13.7%) and by both Regions X and XII (13.2%). In 2012,
Region II had the highest percentage of teenage women who gave birth (14.2%),
followed by Region XI(13.8%) and by Region XII (13.5%). It can be noted that in
2013, although the increase is not significant, the percentage of teenage women
who gave birth continued to increase in Region II with 14.6 percent, followed by
Region XI (14.3%) and by Region XII (13.8%). By 2014, the rate further
increased. Region II had 14.9 percent teenage women who gave birth followed
by Regions XI and XII both with 14.1 percent and Region X with 13.9 percent
(Trivia Demographic of Philippine Statistics Authority, 2016).

Locality Issues of Teenage Pregnancy

The rising number of cases of teenage pregnancy in General Santos City.

Reportedly, there is a 2.67% rate increase from 2012 to 2013. Also, according to
the General Santos City Population and Management Office, the youngest to get
pregnant in the area is 13 years old.Teenage pregnancy is one of the more
serious social problems in the country today. Based on the report by the National
Youth Commission, the Philippines has the highest rate of increase in teenage
pregnancy as compared to other Southeast Asian countries
(www.sunstardavao.com).
Theoretical Framework/ Conceptual Framework

Adolescence pregnancy or teenage pregnancy with the bracket of 14- 19

years of age is a pervasive social problem in the Philippines
(www.UNICEF.com). Since the issue is sensitive base on the culture and about
the sense of people are not that really open minded about teaching sex
education in public school, the ignorance of growing teenagers are still continuing
to adapt this kind of social problem. And the case about not really that big issue
within their family orientation. According to Lavin and Cox (2012) Teenagers who
are exposed to the society where sex is tolerated and lots of teenagers are
pregnant might convinced them to do the same. Peers and friends of teenagers
might be one cause, which happen to go with peers that having a positive
attitude towards early and or premarital sex but no knowledge yet about dealing
sex which result to teenage pregnancy or not even thinking what would be the
effect if things went wrong and possibly goes to hand in hand of motherhood
experience right after child birth which is very much burden if the parents are not
yet ready financially. Community has a big impact and has a big role of teenage
pregnancy problem.

The box identifies the dependent and independent variables below. These
independent variables which point out the major causes of teenage pregnancy
and that are family, community, peers, and tribe or culture. The effects of
teenage pregnancy on which are called dependent variables are those
respondents indicate the effect of causes of teenage pregnancy to the youth
including the students and out of school youth inside the purok. The unplanned
parenthood and the lack of resources to raise a child has become dominant with
this area. These teenagers who became a mother of the early stage of their life
shares about the experience of struggles and pain about being in line of broke
and malnutrition of their children, early marriage and run away father that leads
them to be a solo parent.

Independent variables
Family
Community/Environment
Peers and Groups
Tribe/ Culture
Media/social media
Dependent Variables
Effects of the development of the youth

Definition of key terms:

Effect of teenage pregnancy– means a result brought about by premarital sex

at the age of 13 to 19 years old in relation to her educational development. Out-
of-school youth – are youth aged 13 – 19 who are not in school and who are
unemployed, underemployed, or lacking basic skills.

9
Sex Education – means learning the external conditions such as psychological,
sociological, economic and social factors that affect the personality, behavior and
development of a boy to manhood and fatherhood and a girl to motherhood as
well as with human reproduction.

Teenage Pregnancy -means conception by a girl between the ages of twelve

(13) and nineteen (19) year old which was not planned for. (UNICEF)

10
Problem And It's Settings
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.
The Purok Mudia in Barangay Labangal, General Santos is just a small area with
hundreds of residents. Composed of different types of tribe and native language.
Every married couple usually have five or more children. The husband is usually
the breadwinner of the family, habal-habal driver or motorcycle driver is mostly
the type of work. There are also construction worker and sometimes off and on
call work which is not really sustainable. Teenagers living in this locale with their
parents or relatives are not all students, some of them are out of school youth.
The teenage pregnancy in Purok Mudia is just a common problem in a crowded
area. The behavioral pattern and orientation of the family are one of the major
factors that affect the teenagers' lives. Also, the fact that their kind of lifestyle and
the environment they have, their primary source of living, unemployment of some
members of the family, poverty and also lack of awareness and low aspiration in
life due to uneducated parents that pass on their children. Crowded people,
gambling around the streets, drinking liquors with their neighborhood, messy and
unhealthy environment may create chaos to an individual especially with the
norms and values. Most probably, the growing young ones mirror themselves to
the older people as they encountering the kind of living they have. People inside
the community creates their own cultural and behavioral pattern and while
patching all these things up, everything that are happening to them, the
environment around them and their life situation cycle are just normal.
Why teenagers are at risk or prone in this kind of situation? According to
the study teenagers are on their stage of exploration to an opposite sex,
hormonal imbalance occurs due to their adolescence stage or puberty and the
aggressiveness especially in premarital sex is just normal (Capanzana, Aguila
and Javier, 2015). However, self-control is not sometimes learned out of their
curiosity to explore and often intimate into opposite partner is a natural
phenomena. Hence, this age must really need serious guidance from their
parents to avoid unnecessary compromised situation.
Teenage pregnancy occurence almost half of the population in a
certain place is a serious problem. At this point of view, let us discover what
would be the possible result of the study and how these factors mentioned above
justify the issues of teenage pregnancy.