Cordi Teens Tapped for Peer Education
Vol. XVIII No. 7 (Nov. 22-28, 2014)
BAGUIO CITY – this mountain resort hosted anew high school students coming from the different parts of the Cordillera to a three-day working seminar on Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health Education here.
The seminar is spearheaded by the Department of Health-Center for Health Development-Cordillera Adolescent Health and Development cluster as part of their program in training teenagers as partners in adolescent health education.
The program aims to involve the youth in issues which are considered sensitive like sexuality and reproductive health concerns and become peer educators to leverage peer influence in a positive way.
The DOH-CHD is currently strengthening its advocacy on adolescent health to address the rising teenage pregnancy in the region.
Activities during the three-day seminar include orientation on youth peer education, physical changes during adolescent, sex, gender and human sexuality, teen’s sexuality and reproductive health concerns, peer helping and organization.
Important topics discussed are teenage pregnancy and its consequences, risks to pregnant adolescent and infant, preventing teenage pregnancy among others.
The Adolescent Health Development program was established by the Department of Health in partnership with other government and non-government agencies and other stakeholders.
It targets the youth ages 10 to 24 in order to enhance their knowledge and skill in helping and counselling their peers towards a positive behaviour change.
Facilitators of the seminar are Nheyshiel Salalilia, Jobert Doga-ong and Divina Bosikaw of the Family Planning Office of the Philippines Pampanga, Baguio and Benguet.
The participants are grade 7 to 4th year students from Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Ifugao, Benguet, Mt. Province and Baguio City./paul rillorta