PALO, Leyte- The Provincial Population Office of Leyte has stepped up its drive against teenage pregnancies in the province.
Melchora Cawile, acting provincial population officer, told Leyte Samar Daily Express that her office on instruction of Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, has drafted plans and activities and conducts regular symposium and counselling to teenagers for them understand about the hazards and complications of early pregnancies.
Cawile said that her office is doubling their efforts in the campaign against teen pregnancies in the province.
“We are discouraging our youth to become pregnant in the early age. We are campaigning and advising them during symposia not to be pregnant at early age but rather focus on their studies for them to have better future for their families. We believe that better future awaits them if they are educated. And they must be prepared and not that no planning for their future pregnancies,” she said.
She said that Gov. Petilla directed them to visit the hinterland barangays and schools to conduct regular symposium.
Cawile said that based on their findings, it is in the remote villages where they found most teenagers getting pregnant.
She said that the campaign against teen pregnancies is one of their challenges considering that the teenagers as young as 12 years old are gets pregnant.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
