A Year of Progress: Reducing Adolescent Pregnancy in Southern Leyte and Samar

One year into the Joint Program on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (JPARAP) in Southern Leyte and Samar, we are seeing real progress. More adolescents are gaining access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, and the rates of adolescent births are dropping.

In Southern Leyte, the adolescent birth rate fell from 61.2 births per 1,000 women in 2020 to 54.8 in 2023. Similarly, Samar saw a reduction from 58.7 births per 1,000 women in 2020 to 52.3 in 2023. While these numbers show promise, further studies are needed to fully understand the program’s role in these improvements.

Despite this progress, many adolescents in these provinces still face barriers to accessing their health rights. Tackling this issue was the focus of the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF)’s Provincial Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance Program (PEYLGP) held from September 16-18, 2024 in Tacloban City, as part of JPARAP.

During the event, leaders from Southern Leyte and Samar were introduced to concepts of Adaptive Leadership and advanced multi-stakeholder processes to enhance their leadership competencies. Participants included local government officials, youth development officers, and representatives from health and education sectors. These leaders are now tasked with strengthening collaboration, involving the youth in decision-making, and finding innovative ways to create lasting changes in their communities.

The training will soon extend to 20 municipalities across Samar and Southern Leyte, where local officials and youth leaders will continue working together to reduce adolescent pregnancy. Their hope is to engage families and communities to solve this pressing issue, as it takes everyone’s effort to make a difference.

While there is still a long way to go, the commitment of these leaders and the support of their communities are paving the way toward sustainable change.