Catbalogan City Pushes Forward to Lower Adolescent Pregnancy Rates
News
Catbalogan City is strengthening its efforts to reduce adolescent pregnancy through the rollout of the Barangay Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance Program (BEYLGP) Module 2. The two-day training, held on April 22-23, 2025, was organized by the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) under the Joint Program on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy in Southern Leyte and Samar (JPARAP). It is supported by the Provincial Government of Samar, the City Government of Catbalogan, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The training brings together local officials, youth and community leaders to learn new strategies to prevent teenage pregnancies. Over the past nine months, Catbalogan City has already seen improvements in four pilot barangays. Barangay San Andres reduced its adolescent birth rate from 50 births per 1,000 teens in 2023 to 27 in 2024. Barangay Mercedes dropped from 67 to 39, Barangay Payao from 16 to 9, and Barangay Canlapwas from 95 to 83. While these numbers show progress, Barangay Canlapwas still records a high number of adolescent pregnancies and remains a top priority for the city.
Young leaders are also stepping up. In Canlapwas, Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Official Paul Lawrence Tizon is planning new activities to raise awareness among families. He also plans to use SK funds to make sure these programs are sustained and can reach more young people.
Access to modern contraceptives has also changed across the barangays. In Canlapwas, the number of adolescent contraceptive users grew from 2 in 2023 to 13 in 2024. However, San Andres saw a small drop, from 10 users in 2023 to 6 in 2024. In Payao, there were no users before, but now there are 2. Mercedes showed a big jump, from 2 users in 2023 to 24 in 2024.
Across Catbalogan City, which has 6,198 females aged 15 to 19, the adolescent birth rate improved from 98 per 1,000 teens in 2023 to 81 in 2024. This progress is important because Catbalogan, as the capital of Samar, plays a big role in setting an example for the province. Along with Calbayog City, Catbalogan is a focus of the JPARAP program. If these cities can lower their adolescent birth rates below the national target of 37 per 1,000, it could lead to bigger changes in health programs and funding for the whole province.
Mayor Dexter Uy, who later joined the event after the opening of the city’s new Dialysis Center, reminded everyone that real progress takes time and persistence. “We are still far from our desired results, but every journey begins with small steps. Let us continue working together and be grateful for the assistance we receive from our partners,” he said.
With its growing momentum and strong partnerships, Catbalogan City is becoming a key player in promoting adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health and could set an example for other cities facing the same challenges.
Data Source: Catbalogan City Health Office