CEBU, Philippines - To increase awareness on reproductive health among the youth, representatives of a Manila-based organization are in Cebu City conducting forums for night high school students.
Yesterday, The Forum for Family Planning Development Inc. was attended by 1,000 students of Abellana National School. The first to undergo the forum were the students from Zapatera Night High School.
Chi Laigo Vallido, the organization’s advocacy specialist, said the project targets night high school students since majority of them come from the poorest family in the city.
“Night students have also lesser access to programs that are often administered during regular school hours such as special fora on reproductive health,” she said.
Another aim, she said, is to increase awareness among the night high school students, being a vulnerable group, on the health benefits of the Reproductive Health Law.
Discussions include proper hygiene of women, correcting myths and misconceptions about giving birth, sexual maturation, sexual decision, promotion for the equity for poor families, and proper birth spacing, among others.
“There is really a need to address the teen pregnancy problem in the country since it has the highest in the Southeast Asian Region with more than 20 teen mothers giving birth every hour,” said Vallido.
She said the project will also properly educate the youth on the reproductive health services intended for them.
“Madaming cases ng HIV ang pabata nang pabata. We want to really create awareness and to impart knowledge para makatulong sa mga decision-making na tama,” she said.
Vallido said they chose Cebu City since it is among the urbanized cities in the country with a high population.
The organization is eyeing to conduct forum in the different schools in Cebu City, where there are enrolled night high school students, until July this year. Currently, there are 20,000 night high school students in Cebu City.
Vallido said the organization has coordinated with the Cebu City Council for the possibility of its program to be adopted by the city government.
Prior to their program, Vallido said, she was able to talk to some night high school students in the city who disclosed several issues that need to be addressed such as street harassment, conducive learning environment, and poverty, among others.
Councilor Alvin Dizon, who was present at yesterday’s forum, said the activity helps in the values transformation of the youth. He chairs the council’s committee on youth and committee on education.
“Given the high teen pregnancy rate and HIV cases among the youth, there is really the need to involve public schools in adolescent reproductive health education,” he said.
Dizon further said he will support the group’s recommendation to establish more schools in the city to accommodate night high school students.
He told the students that he will continue to pass measures that will promote the rights of the young people. (FREEMAN)