Erlyn, 18, prepares food while holding her baby son. The youngster quit school at 17 after her brother’s sudden death and began working as a masseuse. She then met the man who became her husband and fell pregnant. Photo: Geela Garcia
As teen pregnancies in the Philippines soar, young mums struggle to cope with their ‘blessings from God’ amid the pandemic
- Every day, some 500 teenage girls give birth in the Philippines, where preventing teen pregnancies was made a ‘national priority’ by President Duterte last year
- A pandemic squeeze on already underfunded health services has caused hardship, but change – including raising the age of consent to 16 from 12 – is on its way
Erlyn, 18, prepares food while holding her baby son. The youngster quit school at 17 after her brother’s sudden death and began working as a masseuse. She then met the man who became her husband and fell pregnant. Photo: Geela Garcia
