Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance Program (EYLGP): Tackling Adolescent Pregnancy in Southern Leyte and Samar
Stories | by Krizzia Esperanza
Adolescent pregnancy remains a challenge in the Philippines, affecting young people’s health, education, and future opportunities.
To address this, the Joint Program on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (JPARAP) was launched in Southern Leyte and Samar in 2023. This multi-year initiative, running from 2022 to 2026, brings together the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO) to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services, enhance adolescent awareness, and strengthen governance for youth health programs.
JPARAP is supported primarily by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), with additional funding from the Philippine government and UN agencies. The program aims to equip health workers, teachers, and peer educators with essential knowledge and resources while making health facilities more adolescent-friendly and ensuring mobile health services reach those in need.
To further this effort, the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), in partnership with UNFPA, launched the Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance Program (EYLGP), as part of JPARAP. EYLGP is a 24-month capability development program aimed at accelerating the reduction of adolescent pregnancy in the provinces of Samar and Southern Leyte. It consists of two training modules and practicum phases that equip trained local leaders with the skills to address adolescent pregnancy through multi-level and multi-stakeholder interventions in improving their Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (AYSRH) systems. Participants receive coaching, mentoring, and technical assistance from coaches, mentors, and experts from government agencies, including the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom).
EYLGP began implementation at the provincial, municipal, and barangay levels in 2023. At the municipal level, mayors were identified as key system drivers and trained alongside their guiding coalitions, using the Municipal Roadmap for Adolescent Pregnancy Reduction (APR) as a technical guide. The first Municipal EYLGP (MEYLGP) module was rolled out in 20 municipalities across Southern Leyte and Samar. Trained leaders included municipal mayors and members of their guiding coalitions, comprising representatives from the Sanggunian Kabataan (SK), health, social services, population and development and education sectors. As part of the training, action plans were developed and implemented during the first practicum phase.
EYLGP aligns with JPARAP’s goal of enhancing governance for AYSRH. Through this effort, JPARAP aims to reach 360 local chief executives (mayors), government, and community leaders from 20 local government units, 100 youth leaders, and 3,000 adolescents.
There is still a lot of work to be done, but with the commitment of local leaders and communities, change is happening. With continued support, reducing adolescent pregnancy and ensuring a better future for Filipino youth is within reach.
