Before dawn, when most children were still asleep, Nika and her mother were already making their way to a clinic. They would leave home at around three o’clock in the morning and line up for a checkup at a public hospital in Caloocan City.
Nika sat quietly among the adults, waiting for her name to be called and for her turn to come.
At first glance, she looked like a child waiting for her mother. But among the more than 30 women ahead of her in line in the crowded hallway, Nika was there not as a companion, but as a patient herself. She had become pregnant at 13.
Nika* (not her real name) had a relationship with someone four years older than her. They first met during their school's Brigada Eskwela while she was in Grade 7. Just a year later, she was carrying a baby. During this period, Nika sometimes stayed with her partner, while at other times she returned to live with her mother and aunt.
Before becoming pregnant, Nika navigated the emotional weight of living in an unsupportive environment at home. As a child, she loved spending time with her friends—an activity her aunt, who acted as a caregiver when her mother was not home, often disapproved."
Noong time po kasi na iyon, [ma]gala po talaga ako. Tapos 'yung tita ko napikon na po sa akin," she said. (“At that time, I was always going out. Then my aunt got annoyed with me.”)
Although she did not elaborate on what happened during the times she was out with her friends, she said the tension eventually led her aunt to discipline her by shaving her head. She described this as one that deeply embarrassed her and made her reluctant to attend school for a time.
"Sabi ko, 'Ayoko! Ayoko!' Nahihiya ako sa buhok ko." (I said, 'I don't want to! I don't want to!' I was embarrassed because of my hair.)
Overwhelmed by what she was experiencing, Nika eventually ran away from home.
"Nung time na yun, gusto ko na po talagang lumabas, gusto ko po ulit ma-feel 'yung ano sa labas." (“I really wanted to go out at the time. I wanted to experience being outside again.”)
After a conversation with her mother, she eventually came back home and started mending her relationship with her aunt, especially as her mother's health began to decline.
Although her mother and aunt did not agree with her relationship with her partner, Nika said they accepted her pregnancy and cared for her throughout. They also accompanied her to her prenatal appointments.
Through the assistance of the barangay health center and referrals from local partners, Nika was connected to the Teen Parents Clinic at the hospital, a partner of Save the Children, where she received care, counselling, and family planning information.
These services helped ensure that both Nika and her baby were monitored throughout the pregnancy and reduced the financial burden on her family. She was able to access free monthly consultations, which include vital signs check-ups, laboratory tests, and ultrasound examinations.
When Nika went into labor in early June, her experience became much more difficult. The night prior to delivery, she was brought to the hospital after experiencing contractions. She first sought admission at around 10:00 p.m., and returned at around 4:00 a.m., then at 8:00 a.m. and again at 11:00 a.m.. Nika and her family commuted several times, but they were unable to receive the services they needed at that time as the hospital was also attending to many other patients.
With no other immediate option, Nika eventually gave birth inside their home, assisted by her mother, grandmother, and aunts. What should have taken place under the care of trained medical professionals in a health facility instead happened on the floor of her home.
The Department of Health recommends that childbirth take place in health facilities attended by skilled health professionals, as adolescent pregnancies carry a higher risk of complications during labor and delivery that may require immediate medical intervention. After the delivery,
Nika and her newborn were rushed to a nearby private lying-in clinic, where the umbilical cord was cut and both received medical attention.
Because the family had to seek care at a private facility, they paid P20,000 in expenses, a significant burden for a household already having difficulty make ends meet through a printing business.
Despite the difficult circumstances, both Nika and her baby were safe.
Following the delivery, Save the Children continued to monitor Nika and facilitated referrals through a designated focal person, helping her access follow-up health services at the hospital, receive psychosocial counseling, and benefit from parenting guidance.
The organization also linked her with the midwife at the health center nearest their home so her baby could receive the recommended newborn immunizations.
Nika received maternal and newborn kits containing diapers, newborn clothing, information materials, maternity pads, bath soap, and other essential items to help care for her baby and support her recovery after childbirth.
In July, the National Nutrition Council adopted a resolution directing local government units across Metro Manila to strengthen referral systems for pregnant adolescents aged 10-14. Through the Integrated Information and Service Delivery Network, a coordinated referral system across various social services, they can be connected not only to health services, but also to nutrition, education, protection, and psychosocial support.
As the system is localized and implemented across cities and municipalities, children carrying children like Nika will no longer have to wait in long lines or visit multiple offices just to access the services they are entitled to receive.
Today, as she spends her days caring for her child and recovering from childbirth, Nika continues to think about returning to school.
"Planado na po. Magpa-family planning po ako at itutuloy ko po ang pag-aaral ko." (There is already a plan. I will undergo family planning and continue my studies.)
She hopes that by continuing her education, she can build a better future for herself and her baby, and one day fulfil the dream she has held since childhood: to wear a police uniform.