According to report by the Iloilo City Population Office, teenage pregnancies are on the decline in the city.

583 teen pregnancies were recorded in 2017, a decline from the 691 recorded in the previous year, constituting a drop of 15.62 percent.

City Population Program Officer III Rachel Lapascua said they expect the number to decline further in 2018.

“We will give our utmost services to the youth through IEC (information, education, and communication) advocacy, both for youth in-school and out-of-school,” she added.

A total of 111 teen pregnancy cases have been recorded in the first quarter of 2018.

City Population Program Officer II Florence Galanto noted, the city is currently conducting campaigns to reduce teen pregnancies occurrences, including Youth for You (U4U) Teen Trail and Healthy Young Ones programs.

“We conduct interactive activities to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and other related diseases,” she explained.

U4U Teen Trail is a campaign to prevent early sex among teens, while Healthy Young Ones is comprised of IEC material intended for 10 to 19 years old that focuses on adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

Meanwhile, City Population Program Officer II Ma. Cecilia Guillergan named some of the reasons for teen pregnancy, including curiosity about sex, rebelling against parents, lack of parental guidance, and improper use of social media./WDJ