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Health on Wheels: Mobile Care for the Youth of Liloan, Southern Leyte
A successful medical mission was initiated last February 19, 2025, in Liloan, Southern Leyte through the TrucKABATAAN, a mobile Adolescent-Friendly Health Facility. Launched in May 2022 in the Philippines, it is specifically designed to address adolescent health needs and reduce teenage pregnancies in Eastern Visayas, mainly in the provinces of Samar and Southern Leyte. While there has been a slight decline in teenage fertility rates nationally—from 8.6% in 2017 to 5.4% in 2022—the number of adolescent mothers aged 10-19 continues to rise, particularly in the 10-14 age bracket.
The name "TrucKABATAAN" combines "truck" with "kabataan," the Filipino word for youth, symbolizing its mission to deliver youth-focused healthcare services. This initiative is under the Joint Programme on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (JPARAP), a collaborative effort involving the United Nations agencies—UNFPA, UNICEF, and WHO—through the generous support of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). By bringing essential health services directly to the doorsteps of young people, TrucKABATAAN aims to empower adolescents with the knowledge and resources necessary to make informed decisions about their health and futures.
Each TrucKABATAAN unit is equipped with air-conditioned rooms designed for confidentiality, a medical bed, audio-visual systems for educational sessions, and laboratory equipment for basic diagnostic tests, including screenings for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. The clinics also feature solar panels for power in off-grid areas and satellite internet connectivity. A dedicated medical team—including a doctor, nurse, midwife, medical technician, social worker, and peer educator—accompanies the mobile clinic to provide comprehensive care addressing the physical, mental, sexual, reproductive, and nutritional health needs of adolescents, and supporting the region in realizing Universal Health Care (UHC).
Close to 100 students from nearby schools and young mothers in Liloan had access to FREE medical checkups, lab tests, dental services, family planning, and mental health consultations. Doctors, nurses, barangay health workers, school health staff, social workers, parents, and youth volunteers worked hand in hand to provide the best care needed for the adolescents of Liloan. Essential medicines and vitamins were distributed to ensure they remained active and healthy.
“TrucKABATAAN has made a big impact in Liloan on its first medical mission. The adolescents are more aware of the health services available. They do not feel intimidated and shy to come, because they know it is a service not meant for the general population, but exclusively for them. We are grateful, “ says Dr. Royo, the Municipal Health Officer, in Liloan.
“As adolescents, they should know about their reproductive health, even while they are young, it should be taught to them at school and at home, so they will understand their reproductive rights, and what can happen if they do not care for their bodies. Some adolescents are not aware of the services available in their RHU," she shares.
Education can prevent early pregnancies. Hopefully, kids will retain and remember.” Dr Royo explains. She adds that the rise in teenage pregnancies is concerning, as the impact on a child to have a baby is difficult. It affects her family, and her community, especially if she does not come from a financially stable family.
"There is a lack of education and we need to advocate at the school level. We also have limited manpower to provide medical services to the neighboring barangays. For example, we only have one dentist for the whole municipality. TheTrucKABATAAN has helped us a lot by filling that gap, I hope the project is monitored and continues to support us because our town needs it," smiles Dr. Royo.
- By Shirin Bhandari
