Tatay na si Totoy: Exploring Stressors and Coping Strategies of Teenage Fathers in Selected Barangays in San Pablo City, Laguna

Teenage fatherhood is a significant socio-cultural, economic, and developmental problem, as it can disrupt educational attainment, constrain employment trajectories, heighten psychosocial stress, and limit access to support systems during a critical stage of life. Despite these consequences, it remains underexamined where attention has historically centered on adolescent motherhood, leaving the specific experiences and needs of teenage fathers insufficiently understood. This imbalance in literature obscures the broader implications of early fatherhood for young men, their children, and the communities in which they are embedded. This study examined the antecedent events leading to early fatherhood, the stressors experienced by teenage fathers, the coping strategies they employ, and the outcomes of these coping processes. Grounded in the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, a phenomenological design explored the lived experiences of twelve (12) teenage biological fathers aged 13–19 years with children aged one year or older from selected barangays in San Pablo City, Laguna, through purposive sampling. Data collection employed structured face-to-face interviews using a researcher-developed, expert-validated 24-item guide. Thematic analysis was validated through expert review. Four themes emerged: (1) socioecological normalization of adolescent risk-taking; (2) economic precarity and provider role strain; (3) resilience through relational and economic resourcefulness; and (4) transformative fatherhood—sacrifice, reprioritization, and persistent vulnerability. The study contributes local, community-based evidence and underscores the value of strength-based, culturally responsive interventions. Findings inform practice by guiding comprehensive sex education and support systems to prevent unintended early fatherhood, address mental health challenges in early parenting, and foster help seeking despite persistent barriers.