Catbalogan Families Graduate from Program That Rebuilt Parent-Teen Bonds

Fifteen parent-teen pairs in Barangay Payao, Catbalogan, Samar, celebrated their graduation from the Masayang Pamilya Teens (MaPa Teens) Program last March 28, 2026.

The nine-session hybrid intervention, implemented from October 2025 to March 2026, aimed to strengthen positive parenting, reduce child maltreatment, and open long-stifled conversations about adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH). The MaPa Teens Program operates on a simple but powerful premise: better parent-teen relationships lead to healthier, safer adolescents. 

At the graduation ceremony, families who completed the program shared how the curriculum transformed their relationships.

The program gave 14-year-old Kimberly her voice. Before MaPa Teens, she describes herself as a quiet child, unaccustomed to sharing her feelings with her parents. Her mother, Ofel, admits that before the program, she often reacted out of frustration rather than understanding. The nine modules gave her a framework, not just to discipline, but to listen. “Natutunan kong magsalita nang maayos at tama para sa aking anak, at lalo pang napalawak ang aking pang-unawa upang mas maintindihan at magabayan siya nang wasto,” Ofel said.

Another teen graduate, Precious, offered a distinction that resonated with many in attendance: family comes before friends. She notes that not all advice from peers proves helpful, making parental guidance a safer and more reliable support system. Her mother, Roxanne, spoke candidly about the challenges of balancing family schedules and responsibilities. Yet her family kept showing up. “Bilang mga magulang, hindi namin kayang bantayan ang aming mga anak sa lahat ng oras. Sa pamamagitan ng bukas na komunikasyon at pagkakaroon ng mas malalim na pag-unawa sa isa’t isa, napagtanto namin kung gaano kahalaga ang tamang pag-uusap,” Roxanne explained.

Dorie Lyn Balanoba, Director of the Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance Program at the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), led the graduation ceremony with a mix of pride and honest acknowledgment of the MaPa Teens journey. The program emerged from data—city-led deep dives, research, and study—all pointing to the same conclusion: parents need help guiding their adolescents through a high-risk period. Balanoba urged graduates to share their learnings beyond their own homes: “Umaasa kami na maibahagi po ninyo sa ibang magulang o ibang mga kabataan ang inyong mga natutunan para sila rin ay magkaroon ng mas magandang komunikasyon at relasyon,” she said.

She also called on the local government to sustain the initiative, acknowledging that without barangay and city support, the program could not have materialized.

The Masayang Pamilya Teens was implemented by the City Health Office of Catbalogan in partnership with ZFF and the Masayang Pamilya Organization, Inc., with support from the Catbalogan City Social Welfare and Development Office and the City Population and Youth Development Office.