Youths join learning exercises as part of the summer youth camp with the theme, “Ako Mahimo: A campaign against teenage pregnancy and HIV and AIDS.” /CONTRIBUTED
The Cebu Provincial government’s Social Welfare Development Office, in partnership with the Commission on Population (Popcom 7), recently held a summer youth camp last May 18-21 at the Alta Resort in Cordova town, Mactan Island.
The first youth camp of the province was dubbed “Ako Mahimo: A campaign against teenage pregnancy and HIV and AIDS.”
Around 100 representatives of the different local government units (LGUs) in the province presented their smart advocacy plans for their respective areas based on the theme “Ako Mahimo” campaign.
The participants also developed at least three core messages to address teenage pregnancy, HIV and AIDS and proposed an innovative and sustainable “Ako Mahimo” campaign activity, which will be implemented by the youth.
Ma. Luzely Rufo, Population Program officer of Provincial Social Welfare Development Office, said “The main objective of the youth camp is to help prevent teen-age pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, and spread the information on the disadvantages of engaging in pre-marital sex.”
The Philippines is among the top 10 countries that register an increasing number of teenage mothers.
Seven out of 10 Filipina mothers are adolescents. Most of them are below 19 years old.
According to the 2013 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study, 78 percent of the first pre-marital sex among young Filipinos are unprotected, putting them at risk of teenage pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection (STI), HIV and AIDS, or both.
In Central Visayas, the red flag is up in terms of sexual risks among young people. Region 7 ranks fourth in terms of pre-marital sex exposure. Seven out of 10 of first pre-marital sex is unprotected against STI and/or pregnancy.
This scenario prompted the Department of Health and other government and non-government organizations to work together to address this issue.
Several strategies and programs have been implemented by the different agencies and youth-serving organizations.
However, most of the areas at the local level are yet to be covered. Thus, the LGUs need to take a proactive role to help address teenage pregnancy, HIV, AIDS, drug use and other problems confronting the youth.
Rufo also added that the camp is also a sharing of experiences in youth development and discussion of issues affecting the young people in the locality.
Workshops were also conducted for the development of core messages for the campaign.
“Games and structured learning exercises were part of the encampment to uphold the principle of learning while having fun and to strengthen the bond among the youth in Cebu Province,” she said.