Number of pregnant teens in Iloilo down

The Provincial Population Office (PPO) is expecting a further drop in the number of pregnant teenage girls in Iloilo this year.

PPO recorded a 9.8 percent decline in teenage pregnancy cases from 2,583 in 2016 to 2,213 in 2017.

The youngest mother last year was 14, PPO data showed.

According to PPO head Ramon Yee, the conduct of symposia in the province’s 48 teen centers contributed to the decrease.

“Nakita ta there was an improvement. I hope the number will continue to decrease,” he said.

The teen center project was launched in 2011. It aims to provide a venue for the young people to help them develop their personlities, enhance their skills, and become competitive.

Aside from symposia, the teen center also initiated several activities to discourage adolescents or those people aged between 10 and 19 from engaging in risky sexual behavior, smoking, using of illegal drugs, and drinking alcoholic drinks.

SOURCE: Iloilo Metropolitan Times

Special thanks to: