Amid the continuing rise in cases of child marriage and early cohabitation among minors, Save the Children emphasized that poverty is not the only root cause of the issue, but also the normalization of such practices in some communities.

“The most alarming now is the normalization of cohabitation or live-in arrangements among children,” said Vivien Grace Martin, Director of Sponsorship Programs of the organization.

“Based on UNICEF data, the Philippines ranks 12th in terms of child marriages and forced unions,” she added.

Martin also noted that many young girls are pushed into live-in arrangements or early marriage due to poverty and lack of family support.

“What children see is that early cohabitation becomes a gateway for them to escape poverty,” she explained.

“In rural areas, it is sometimes seen as culture or tradition, but the common factor is still poverty—sometimes there are dowries involved, where a child is married off in exchange for a carabao or money,” Martin said.

According to the organization, in some cases, children perceive cohabitation as a way to gain freedom and help their families or escape difficult and overcrowded living conditions at home.

Save the Children warned that these situations expose minors to grooming and abuse by older men, stressing that children at a young age are often unable to make fully informed decisions.

The organization also said that lack of awareness and weak coordination in enforcing laws against child marriage remain major challenges.

“It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village to protect a child,” the group stressed, urging communities not to normalize practices that put children at risk.

Despite these challenges, Save the Children continues to push for a whole-of-society approach to protect children from child marriage and cohabitation.