FAMILY PLANNING FORUM. Teenage pregnancies in Dumaguete City, the capital of Negros Oriental province, have declined over the past six years, as the use of birth control methods in this age group has also increased. This was bared during a forum on Tuesday (Aug. 15, 2023) with guest panelists (L-R) Sarah Maputi, Remeter Limbo, and Bb Girl Suzette Somoray, and the provincial and city population and family planning advocates. (PNA photo by Judy Flores Partlow)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The number of teenage pregnancies in this Negros Oriental capital has dropped over the years since 2017, authorities said, noting that birth control users among the teens also increased during the period.
Bb Girl Suzette Somoray, Community Affairs Officer of the City Population Office here, said the decline in teenage pregnancies is attributed to interventions such as continuous education campaigns, spiritual and church-based activities, and awareness on birth control methods.
“We believe one of the reasons for the decline is our advocacy because we penetrated the schools and also conduct out-of-school lectures, but we are hoping that the barangay councils will set aside a budget for this,” Samoray said during the Kapihan sa PIA forum here.
“We are always willing to provide lectures, but we all know that it is difficult to bring together the young people as they usually do not attend, and we need to get their attention by simple gestures as providing snacks,” she said.
Youth groups such as those involved in church activities, have also helped bring about more awareness on the dangers of teenage pregnancies, the city official said.
Data presented by Somoray during the forum showed that in 2017, a total of 398 cases of teenage pregnancies were recorded, followed in 2018 with 299 cases; 2019 with 276 cases; 2020 with 211 cases; 2021 with 174 cases; and 2022 also with 174 cases.
She said 26 cases documented involved 10- to 14-year-olds while the majority were aged 15-19.
Somoray said no data was available yet as of this year, even as she expressed hope that the decline in teenage pregnancies will continue.
She and two other forum panelists, Remeter Limbo, Population Officer II of this capital city, and Sarah Maputi, Family Planning Program Coordinator of the Negros Oriental Integrated Provincial Health Office, noted that many teenagers are now into birth control.
They said many even avail of the government’s free distribution of birth control pills, the most popular and widely used by this younger generation.
The population control officials stressed that it is the primary responsibility of parents to ensure that their young children do not fall prey to unwanted or unexpected pregnancies.
The forum on family planning and teenage pregnancy was held in observance of the National Family Planning Month this August, which banners the theme, “Usap Tayo Sa Family Planning para Protektado and Pamilyang Pilipino.” (PNA)
