By Paulo Loreto Lim

An ordinance recently passed by the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) declared the month of July as Teenage Pregnancy Awareness Month.
The legislation, authored by Bacolod City Councilor Em Ang, cites 2014 data from the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA), which found 24 babies are born every hour to teenage mothers.
The document also noted the teenage pregnancy rate in the Western Visayas region is 18.4 percent.
Through the ordinance, a committee will be formed to expand public awareness regarding Teenage Pregnancy Awareness Month, host forums discussing strategies in preventing teenage pregnancy, conduct studies into the scope of teenage pregnancy in Bacolod City, sponsor community events, work with schools and other organizations to develop volunteer mentoring programs, among other events.
The cost for implementing the ordinance was quoted at P200,000, which will be sourced from the city government general fund./WDJ