00:00It is up to the children to decide what to do.
00:30Baby is an only child.
00:37Wait, wait, wait, wait.
00:40Let's go.
00:42Let's go.
00:44Are you going to swim?
00:45Yes, yes.
00:52That's why their home is full of life when the newest member of their family arrives.
01:07Let's go.
01:13Let's go.
01:21But this is not Baby's sibling.
01:26This is Baby's own child.
01:31Baby is now 11 years old.
01:35But she was pregnant when she was just 10 years old.
01:42Now, it is hot to talk about the increase of sex education in the country
01:48and the increasing number of cases of pregnant women.
01:52Let's listen to the story of Baby.
01:55This Friday, I traveled to Mindanao to interview one of the youngest, if not the youngest mother in the Philippines.
02:13It has been a long time since this has been in the hands of many,
02:17of the parents and especially of the parents,
02:22the increasing number of children.
02:25How old are you?
02:27How old were you when you were pregnant?
02:30I was 10 years old when I was 11 years old.
02:36Now, you are 11 years old.
02:38Yes, I was 11 years old when I was pregnant.
02:39What do you think when you think of that reality?
02:45I cry.
02:47Why?
02:49I just can't accept that I have a baby.
02:53What do you want to cry about? About your situation?
02:58My parents, who loved me but the situation is like this.
03:05Something bad happened to my family.
03:10What do you think of yourself and your future?
03:15What will you do in life?
03:17I think about my studies and I will help my parents.
03:31Why? Is it hard, Baby?
03:33Yes.
03:35What is hard?
03:37Having a child.
03:47When she has a baby, that is what is hard for me.
03:53But my mother helps me so that I can learn.
03:58Baby lives in this part of Mindanao.
04:01She is the daughter of the former OFW in Saudi Arabia, Amira,
04:06and her husband, Caleb.
04:10Because she is the only mother, Baby dreams of having a sibling.
04:15If I have a sibling, I will be able to take care of myself.
04:22We never ask God for anything.
04:32Baby is a kind and obedient child.
04:36She is also smart in class.
04:39I want to finish my studies so that I can be an English teacher.
04:46At a young age, she already knows how to hold money.
04:50She saves it in her pocket.
04:53My father and mother give me money for my school projects.
05:00But in April of this past year, everything changed.
05:07How did you know you were pregnant?
05:10I didn't know I was pregnant because I am fat.
05:14I thought I just had a big belly.
05:18And then?
05:20I tied my belly so that it would be small.
05:22So you sold it.
05:23I played volleyball.
05:26I ran.
05:28Because I didn't know that I was pregnant.
05:32When did you find out?
05:34It's been 8 months since I was pregnant.
05:37You were just a baby. You didn't know you were pregnant?
05:40No.
05:42How did you find out?
05:44My aunt went there.
05:46She said, why is my belly getting bigger?
05:49I saw that her body shape was different.
05:51I asked her what happened to her.
05:54But she didn't say anything.
05:56She said I was pregnant.
06:00That's when I found out that I was pregnant.
06:03Then she started crying.
06:05She couldn't speak.
06:07She was crying out of fear.
06:11Didn't you feel that something was moving in your belly?
06:14I also felt that something was moving in my belly.
06:18Then what happened?
06:19My parents told me.
06:22What was your reaction when your baby told you that she was pregnant?
06:27I didn't think that something like that would happen to her.
06:32I got sick and angry.
06:35When you saw her, what did you say to her?
06:38I just hugged her.
06:40I told her, why didn't you tell me about this?
06:43So that we can take good care of your baby.
06:45I told her that I was scared.
06:48I didn't know what to do because I was still young.
06:57I was taken to the hospital for a check-up.
07:01I was also shocked.
07:03This is her head.
07:05This is the gender of the baby, male.
07:07We have a lot of complications.
07:09The mother or the baby can die.
07:11She can have preterm labor.
07:14And then preeclampsia,
07:16it means that the blood pressure of the mother increases.
07:19But who is the father of the baby?
07:25It's none other than 17-year-old Abdul,
07:29who is the full cousin of the baby.
07:32The father of the baby is related to his mother and has a new family.
07:36That's why he grew up under the power of his grandmother, Irma.
07:39I didn't know what to do.
07:41I was scared.
07:43I didn't know what to do.
07:45I didn't know what to do.
07:47I didn't know what to do.
07:49They were living with their mother in my grandmother's house.
07:52And when they were left in their grandmother's house,
07:55that's when it happened,
07:57what shouldn't have happened.
07:59Did you agree to marry him or did you force it?
08:03I didn't agree, but he said that we would just play.
08:07And then?
08:09That's it.
08:11Because I didn't know that that's what was happening to us.
08:17You didn't talk about how to get pregnant?
08:20No, because I was still young.
08:24Until Abdul heard the news that what he thought was just a game,
08:29turned out to be true.
08:31They called me.
08:32Baby.
08:34I can't believe that it happened.
08:37It hurts.
08:39We were still young.
08:51Under Republic Act 11648,
08:54the age of sexual consent was increased from 12 years old to 16 years old.
08:58This means that anyone with carnal knowledge or sexual activity
09:03with any person under 16 years old
09:06can be liable for statutory rape with exceptions.
09:10Let's remember that in the case of statutory rape,
09:12the consent or approval of the victim is immaterial or without a visa
09:17due to the fact that they have a cheap mind
09:20to give an intelligent consent.
09:22I just needed my body.
09:25I didn't know that this was the outcome.
09:28I shouldn't have done it.
09:30Maybe they thought, ma'am, that they didn't know that this was the outcome.
09:33We will give this problem to the elders
09:36so that they can solve this problem.
09:40Baby's family hired a teacher,
09:46a religious leader of their community,
09:49to teach the Holy Quran, the holy scripture of Islam.
09:54This November,
09:56a few weeks before Baby's birthday,
09:59Baby and Abdul joined the wedding ritual,
10:04which is called kawing.
10:05This is the reason why many kids are married off
10:08when they are not yet in the consenting age,
10:11they must be over 18 years old.
10:13This should be the context in which the Sharia law is implemented.
10:18This is the way to prevent sexual violence.
10:22This is the problem.
10:24This is the way to prevent sexual violence.
10:27This is the reason why many kids are married off
10:29when they are not yet in the consenting age.
10:31They must be over 18 years old.
10:32the context of the implementation of the Sharia Law.
10:35Until this December, Baby was already laboring.
10:40When you were born, you were a Caesarean, right?
10:42Yes.
10:43Why were you a Caesarean?
10:44Because my parents were afraid that I would be raped.
10:50She was saved when her baby, Baby Datu, was born.
10:59Do you not take care of Baby anymore?
11:01No, I don't.
11:02You only take care of her.
11:03Yes.
11:09It's painful to suck milk.
11:14Because if my milk doesn't come out,
11:18I feel like I'm going to fall sick.
11:23Baby and Abdul lived in the same house
11:26to learn how to take care of their child.
11:29Abdul stopped studying and became a construction worker.
11:34When is your next job?
11:37I'll just update my boss.
11:42While Baby took care of their child,
11:45her mother, Amira.
11:51The clothes Baby Datu was wearing
11:54were made by her own hands.
12:00What are you doing?
12:01I'm taking care of Baby
12:04so that she can hang her clothes outside.
12:13I'm going to put her diaper on.
12:17Can you do it?
12:20I don't think so.
12:24Baby Datu.
12:30Can you do it or do you want me to help you?
12:33I can't do it.
12:35Can you help me?
12:50I can't do it.
12:51I'll help you.
12:53I can't do it.
12:58We need to check their moods.
13:01Because they don't know how to express their thoughts and emotions.
13:07It's a big help for them,
13:09as a mother,
13:11to have the support of her family.
13:14Didn't your school teach you about sex education?
13:19Science?
13:20Yes, science.
13:21How do people have babies?
13:24Didn't anyone teach you about it?
13:25No, we haven't learned about it yet.
13:28According to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority,
13:32the number of mothers in the Philippines
13:35has increased from the age of 15 to less.
13:36From just 2,411 in 2019,
13:41this year alone,
13:43it has increased to more than 3,000.
13:46According to the Commission on Population and Development,
13:50the National Economic Development Authority
13:54declared in 2019
13:56that this is a national and social emergency.
14:02Our children have no access
14:05to services for their reproductive health.
14:08They were not taught about sexual abuse.
14:13We have what we call a targeted awareness campaign,
14:17especially in areas that have high teen-age pregnancies.
14:22It's also important to talk about this within the home,
14:26and not to treat it as a taboo subject.
14:29Give attention to the rights of the children.
14:32We call for the law to be strengthened.
14:35We should give them time to study,
14:38not to get married or have children.
14:40Senator Risa Ontiveros' solution
14:44is the Senate Bill 1979,
14:47or the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy.
14:50But this is being violated by some lawmakers.
14:54This is radical.
14:56This is inappropriate and damaging to children.
15:00Consultation is important.
15:03Of course, if there is a purpose that does not fit the context and culture of the Philippines,
15:08it will not be used.
15:14The United States Department of Health and Human Services
15:18and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
15:22are working together to protect the health and well-being of all Filipinos.
15:26The United States Department of Health and Human Services
15:30and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
15:34are working together to protect the health and well-being of all Filipinos.
15:38The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
15:42is working together to protect the health and well-being of all Filipinos.
15:45What are your plans and what is your baby's father's plan?
15:49When I am okay, I will go back to school and finish school.
15:54When I become a senior high school student,
15:57we will send our child to school.
16:01So, to prepare for her return to school,
16:05she is now filling two baskets with baby food.
16:09This is for school.
16:10This is for baby's milk.
16:15Meanwhile, to make sure that the baby and her child are healthy,
16:19our team accompanied them for a check-up.
16:22In the physical examination, I gave her normal findings.
16:26For the baby, we consider that she has an umbilical hernia.
16:31We need to refer her to a specialist.
16:34Because the baby has not yet entered school,
16:37this Wednesday, her classmates visited her at their house.
16:42Hello, good afternoon.
16:48How are you?
16:49I am okay.
16:50Where is your baby?
16:51She is inside.
16:53We have missed you for almost two months.
16:56I miss you too.
16:58Don't neglect your studies.
17:00Don't neglect your studies.
17:02Even if you have a child,
17:04keep fighting.
17:06Like what I told your mother,
17:11accept it.
17:13Accept what happened to you.
17:15I am giving you a module
17:18so that you can continue your studies.
17:22I will improve my studies.
17:25Even if I have a difficult child,
17:29I will do my best to finish my studies.
17:32I will do my best to finish my studies.
17:34I will do my best to finish my studies.
17:36I love you.
17:38I love you so much.
17:52What are the things that you cannot do?
17:56Playing, running,
17:59and kissing.
18:03Is that what you really want to do?
18:06Talking to each other?
18:08Yes.
18:09If you ask yourself, what will you do?
18:12I will not be happy again.
18:16What do you feel when you see your baby?
18:19I feel a bit sad.
18:21But my mother told me not to be sad
18:26because he is now my brother.
18:29Like a brother?
18:31Yes.
18:32All I can say is that
18:34I don't want my younger siblings
18:38to be like me.
18:41No matter what happens,
18:44it's right to study.
18:46Finish your studies
18:48for yourself and for your child.
18:51Yes.
18:52This has already happened.
18:54You should still be yourself.
18:56Your story is not yet finished.
18:59You should complete your story
19:01and your personality.
19:03Yes.
19:08Is it still an issue until now
19:10that talking about sex
19:13is avoided by many?
19:15This is the reality.
19:17There are more and more
19:19children who are pregnant.
19:22The right knowledge
19:24and equipment
19:25to protect the body
19:27and plan for the future
19:30because life is not just a game.
19:46YouTube channel
19:47and don't forget to hit the bell button
19:50for our latest updates.
