Manila, March 24 -- The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) called for urgent action to address the rising number of pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 14.

In a Bagong Pilipinas interview on Monday, CPD spokesperson Myline Mirasol Quiray expressed dismay over the disturbing trend and said it needs "our full attention."

"When we were 10 to 14 years old, we were playing. Yet today, some of our youth are already pregnant or have even given birth. The youngest recorded case was just 8 years old-she gave birth at 9. It's heartbreaking," Quiray said.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Quiray said pregnancies in the 10 to 14 bracket surged to over 3,300 cases in 2023, a significant jump from over 2,000 case...