The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 8 Office has linked with the local government units (LGUs) to raise awareness on the troubling teenage pregnancy problem in Eastern Visayas.
In a statement, the DILG Region 8 Office stressed that the program seeks to benefit more than 270,000 adolescents in Samar and Southern Leyte with the hope of reducing cases of teenage pregnancy in the region through these institutional capacities.
Spearheaded by the Zuellig Family Foundation, the DILG Region 8 Office joined the Municipal Youth leadership and Governance Program (MYLGP) Module 1 as it was driven towards tackling issues of adolescent pregnancy in the LGUs by raising awareness and enhancing governance on sexual and reproductive health.
The DILG Region 8 Office explained that the activity is part of the Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance Program (EYLGP) that aims to reduce the number of adolescent pregnancies in the country with focus on the provinces of Samar and Southern Leyte in the Eastern Visayas region.
Local leaders, city, and municipal health representatives, and other local officials were trained on how to improve their Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR) systems, particularly on Demand Degradation, Service Delivery, and Governance.
The DILG, as a partner of the Joint Program on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy in the National and Regional Project Steering Committee, also joined the activity to help capacitate LGUs in the implementation of this initiative.
DILG 8 Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe urged the LGUs “to be stewards in providing a safe and sustainable environment for children, covering assistance and services to pregnant adolescents.’’
"I urge everyone to join hands, share their expertise and experience with the community, and bring forth innovative ideas that will drive our efforts forward. Let us act swiftly and decisively for the well-being of our youth and our region," Agabe said.