Adolescent pregnancy remains a huge and pressing concern in the Philippines today, the effect on early pregnancy on the adolescent parents, their offspring and other respective families especially on the adolescent mother is overwhelmingly negative.

Studies suggest that an adolescent mother will never be able to recover from the experience in her lifetime. (UNFA, 2016). Undersecretary Juan Antonio A. Perez III, the executive director of the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) stated that “teenage pregnancy has a significant impact on perpetrating poverty and they cannot recover from being a child mother”.

ProtecTEEN Project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) central office has come up a two pilot area of our country, they are Antipolo City and our very own Malaybalay City, where the incidence of teenage pregnancy is high. The launching and signing of Memorandum of Agreement and Pledge of Commitment for the implementation of the project was done last August 10, 2022 here at Malaybalay City.

ProtecTEEN project conducted an outreach for the adolescent mothers and their family members last March 7-8, 2023 at SP Session Hall, Malaybalay City for the 35 adolescent mothers, their partners and parents which are the beneficiary of the project chosen by the CHO-POPDEV and the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO).

They are chosen to undergo the 7 topics of the ProtecTEEN Module in order for the beneficiaries especially the adolescent mothers to perform their roles in society as parents at their young age and help them to move forward and continue in life without hindering factors and situation they had encounter with the help of their families and the support of our government agencies.

These modules were discussed by various personnel of different offices of the City of Malaybalay, which are the City Health Office –Population and Development (POPDEV), City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) together with the DSWD Region 10 and DSWD Central Office.

Speakers during the event were: Ms. Jiezha Rae Rebuta and Ms. Faraida Masbud of DSWD Region 10; Mr. Edel L. Singson and Ms. Melani M. Madrones of CHO-POPDEV Malaybalay; Ms. Arlene Sanchez, Mr. Emmanuel Tomada and Ms. Marose F. Bordaje of CSWDO Malaybalay; and Ms. Kim Sharon Sulogan of BSPO-Kalasungay.

CHO-POPDEV-NADA