There is a long umbilical cord that connects the contemporary framing of teenage motherhood in the Philippines and the country’s colonial experience. 

Teenage motherhood is currently framed as a developmental problem due to its impact on health and education, which are vital aspects of a country’s human capital. According to the narrative, teenage motherhood is risky because it leads to health complications and poor health outcomes. This perspective stems from teenage mothers’ immature psychological and physiological characteristics, making them unsuitable for childbearing. 

Teenage motherhood also risks young women’s economic opportunities as most of them are expected to drop out of school to become full-time mothers. Their low educational attainment is then linked to long-term poverty.

We recognize the importance of these interpretations. We also believe in the value of raising awareness and urgency about the longstanding issues of teenage motherhood, especially considering that gender violence is salient. This urgency is manifested in the fact that most young pregnancies are fathered by significantly older men and the fact that this issue remains underreported.

But beyond these interpretations, we see other hegemonic perspectives on the issue that unnecessarily burden young mothers. First, teenage motherhood is viewed as a moral transgression based on a Catholic doctrine that is still reminiscent of Spain’s population control over the Philippines as its previous colony. Second, teenage motherhood is viewed as an economic inefficiency based on neoliberal institutions that define “global” standards of development mainly from the lens of the West, specifically America.

Stigma

Catholic values continue to stigmatize teenage mothers. This stigmatization extends to their access to opportunities and control over their bodies. Teenage motherhood implies motherhood outside marriage, threatening Catholicism’s procreation value and its norms regulating women’s sexuality, such as the concept of chastity.

The Catholic doctrine, exemplified by stories like Eve leading Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, perpetuates society’s disproportionate blame on women for their pregnancies. For example, when Filipino families confront teenage motherhood, it is often within the context of hiya (shame) concerning a young woman’s loss of virginity, especially outside marriage. This Catholic perspective also contributes to the lack of comprehensive sex education in the Philippines, as it is considered taboo or forbidden and is expected to be reserved for the sacrament of marriage. 

The stigmatization extends to other institutions, such as schools. There are cases where teenage mothers are expelled from schools for being perceived as bad examples to their peers, a consequence not equally imposed on their partners.

Economic inefficiencies

While the Spanish colonial influence is primarily manifested in moral and religious terms, the American colonial influence foregrounded new elements, such as the quantification of development gains through the enhancement of modern medical and educational systems. Neoliberal institutions play a crucial role in framing teenage motherhood as an individual irrationality that leads to economic inefficiencies (e.g., poverty, educational disengagement, lack of knowledge about sexual and reproductive health, and medical complications). This perspective is linked to institutions following a Western logic that defines female youth’s life trajectories based on numbers and perceived gains.

Thus, teenage mothers face pressure to home-school and find work to avoid becoming a burden on their families and the country. Policymakers argue that the country loses an estimated P34 billion annually due to teenage mothers’ incomplete education, hindering their economic contributions. The proposed solution involves controlling their sexuality, attaining education, and finding employment, all while being “good” mothers.

But framing teenage motherhood as an economic burden and promoting self-sufficiency risks overlooking the complex sociocultural context that keeps teenage mothers afloat. The Filipino family structure differs significantly from the self-sufficiency ideal. Filipinos typically have close-knit, extended families in which caring for grandchildren or assisting in their upbringing is common. Therefore, self-sufficiency, while preferred, might not be the primary and ultimate concern for many Filipino families regarding teenage mothers. 

Power dynamics

Moreover, framing teenage motherhood as an individual issue risks overlooking the structural inequalities that contribute to teen pregnancies. The focus often shifts to internal factors, such as the perceived inability of teenage mothers to manage risks effectively, rather than acknowledging the influence of the Philippines’ sociocultural landscape and underlying inequalities. For instance, the stark disparity in age between teenage mothers and the fathers of their children underscores the power dynamics that can lead to coerced sexual encounters. The case is particularly evident in regions like Eastern Visayas, one of the most vulnerable and most typhoon-battered regions in the Philippines, which has the highest rate of pregnancies among 15- to 19-year-old women, per the 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality (YAFS) study.

Colonial moral traditions and neocolonial knowledge structures not only shape gendered discourses and policies in the Philippines but also further marginalize young Filipino mothers in their already vulnerable state. The imperative to decolonize our understanding of teenage motherhood in the Philippines is therefore not merely an academic exercise but a crucial step towards justice and equity. The prevalent narratives that define teenage motherhood through a lens tainted by colonial and neocolonial ideologies do more than distort our perception; they bar us from adequately protecting while understanding the context of young Filipinos.

Eunice Santiago is a researcher at the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies, Program on Alternative Development. Athena Charanne Presto, or Ash Presto, is a sociologist and policy consultant researching gender equality and governance in the Philippines.