“Let’s wait outside the church,” Jenine Ortiz, 23, says as she walks with a group of youth leaders in Barangay, Payao, Catbalogan, Samar. They are scheduled to meet a 16-year-old teenage mother with her one-year-old baby. The youth leaders are trained to counsel young moms who need guidance as they deal with their lives as new parents. They often dedicate one day over the weekend to provide support to adolescents, armed with knowledge, and the hope of decreasing and preventing the recurrence of teenage pregnancies along the seaside village. 

Early sexual activity, often unprotected, is influenced by cultural norms and peer pressure. A recent study revealed only 58.5% among adolescents aged 10-19 used contraception on their first PMS (premarital sex), among those who have engaged in PMS. Adolescent pregnancy can disrupt a young person's education, personal growth, and development. It can also lead to medical complications, sexually transmitted infections, and mental health disorders.

“My advocacy on adolescent pregnancy is based on my personal experience,” Ortiz says. Her elder sister is an adolescent mother and she has seen firsthand how her sister struggled.  “There is a lack of education, so talking about sex is still taboo in our community, some parents evade the topic. We are hoping this will change. I am for women's empowerment, especially for teenage mothers,” Ortiz adds. She feels some members of her community have become used to the idea that it is ok for teenagers to have children. “As time goes by I can see that it feels normal for them,” Ortiz says sadly.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) works with young people to be leaders and advocates for their rights through the Barangay Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance (BEYLGP). This initiative is through the Joint Programme on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (JPARAP), funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), collaborating with UNFPA, UNICEF, and WHO. The project aims to provide adolescents with better access to sexual and reproductive health services and information, by developing the skills and knowledge of young people to make informed decisions about their lives.

Ortiz attended BEYLGP sessions, implemented by Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF),  under JPARAP and learned more about her rights as a young person. Some adolescents are not aware that their rights are being violated. “I remember when I was about 9 years old, an older man kissed me, and I thought this was ok because he was close to our family, but after attending the awareness campaign, I realized it was not appropriate,” Ortiz recalls.

The youth group, led by Ortiz, accompanies the young mother and her daughter to the rural health unit (RHU) to attend an awareness campaign on safe sex and the use of birth control. “I hope there will be fewer teenage parents in our area, and even if there are, they should learn to become more open by attaining the services in our barangay, they should not be afraid or ashamed to visit our health center, and not always wait for our health workers to go to them, because it is their right to have access to these services,” Ortiz explains.

Jenine, alongside the Sangguniang Kabataan of Barangay Payao, launched a project called, “Project PAGPAID”, which aims to address the rampant cases of adolescent pregnancy and related issues in the community involving vulnerable young people.

As Ortiz and her peers enter the door of the RHU, three expectant teen mothers are waiting to take part in the upcoming talk. The local midwife brings out their records as Ortiz prepares information pamphlets to be handed out to the group. The youth leaders hope to continue their advocacy to lessen the cases of teenage pregnancies and work towards educating the youth in their village with information on sexual and reproductive health.

“It's effective to have youth leaders because we are the same age, we feel what they are feeling and know what they are going through on a daily basis, which sometimes people from an older generation may not relate to. We can better understand their situation and sympathize, without passing judgment.” Ortiz smiles.

- By Shirin Bhandari