TACLOBAN CITY – Teenage pregnancy cases in Eastern Visayas declined from 6.9 percent in 2017 to 4.9 percent last year.

But this figure is still considered by the population department as ‘alarming’ because of the high number of women getting pregnant at a very young age.

Data from the Commission on Population and development(Popcom) shows that of young women aged 15 to 19, the highest percentage of early pregnancy was recorded among 19 years old (13.3 percent), followed by 18 years old (5.9 percent), then 17 years old (5.6 percent), 16 years old (1.7 percent) and 15 years old (1.4 percent).

Young women getting pregnant early result in lesser economic opportunity due to lack of education as some of them tends to stop their schooling due to financial problem and at the same time have to attend to parental duties to their child, the agency said.

Last Feb.20, the United Nations (UN) and Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) launched the program to address the problem of teenage pregnancy cases in the region, particularly in the provinces of Samar and Southern Leyte.

The four-year project aims to improve the comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of adolescents from the two provinces and their access to SRH services and information; raise self-awareness on SRH rights, as well as to enhance leadership and governance on adolescent SRH.

Based on the date the Philippine Statistics Authority, adolescent women who gave birth in Samar in 2022 reached to 1,093 while Southern Leyte recorded 484.

Rona and Anna, not their real names and both 18-years old living in a village about 10 kilometers away from the town proper of Basey in Samar province are among those who get pregnant at a young age and were forced to stop their studies.

“It will be difficult for me to find a good job because I didn’t finish school,” Rona said.
“I want to give my daughter a better future. Nowadays it will be difficult for me to find a good job because I don’t finish schooling” Anna, for her part, said.

Both young mothers are thankful that their partners and parents are supportive of their plan to go back to school.

Rona’s partner mother shares that she is convincing her to go back to school and even her son who only reached Grade 11.

Based on the study, early pregnancy results to a loss of P33 billion a year to the country’s economy, and P 83,000 a year in income to teenage mothers. This makes the Philippines ranked second among ASEAN countries with the lowest women labor force rate with 44 percent. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY-Five sachets containing white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu were recovered by joint operatives led by personnel from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the local Station Drug Enforcement Team of the local police from a former drug surrenderee in a buy-bust operation about 11:40 am Thursday (March 2) in Basey, Samar.

PDEA 8 Regional Director Atty. Gil Pabilona identified the arrested suspect as Jieman Anthony Ducducan, 35, and a resident of Barangay San Antonio where the operation took place.

Ducducan surrendered during the Oplan Tokhang in 2016 and is listed as a high-value target in the drug watch list personality of PDEA.

Recovered from his possession were four sachets of suspected shabu with a commercial value of P35,000 weighing five grams.

The suspect is now detained at the Basey lock-up jail and charged for violation of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY– The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has renewed the call for the public to be fire-conscious.

The call of the BFP is line of this month’s fire prevention observance.

C/Supt. Adel de Paz Bautista, BFP regional director, said that they alone cannot achieve a fire safe community.

Every individual, he stressed, must do their part and be responsible enough to eliminate from being victim of destructing fire occurrences.

This year’s observance carry a theme “Sa Pag-iwas sa Sunog, Hindi ka Nag iisa”.
Last Wednesday (March 1), the event started with a program held at Rizal Plaza with agencies, namely, the Philippine National Police- Highway Patrol Group, and Traffic Operation Management Enforcement and Control Office (Tomeco) participated.

Based on the BFP-8, record, there were 248 fire incidents across the region last year with a cost of damage reaching to P160.98 million.
(ELLA MAE M. RITA, LNU Student Intern)

In Leyte’s 3rd district

VILLABA, Leyte– Leyte Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon (3rd district) envisioned in bringing to her district things which are good for the people and to the environment.

Rep.Tuazon, who is a lawyer by profession, said that those programs which are being implemented and will be implemented are in line with the Philippine Development Plan, International Obligation on Climate Action, and on improving the livelihood in their district.
She also said that they want to implement the programs in an inclusive and sustainable way rooted in their culture because that will define and set them apart not just from other areas in Leyte but in other places in our country.

In implementing their programs and projects, particularly on the tourism aspect, they are partnering with the Philippine National Police (PNP) in order to secure the safety of the people in the district and the tourist who will visit their district.

In the third district of Leyte, Tuazon said that they have plenty of tourist attractions for tourists to visit.

Among these tourist destinations are the Buga-Buga Hill and old houses in Villaba; the waterpark and eco-park in Tabango; the ruins and watch tower in Leyte; the beautiful beachfront resorts, tropical lagoons, and hidden caves in Calubian; and the beautiful scenery in San Isidro.

When tourists want to have an overnight, Tuazon said, the local government units in the third district of Leyte has identified several accommodations.

Since the province is working for a local transport route plan, Veloso said that they reached out with the Department of Transportations and private sectors because they want to introduce electronic vehicles in their district to protect the environment.

“I want to integrate in the local transport route plan of the province, the promoting of the electronic vehicle because it is good for the people and good for our Mother Earth,” Veloso said.

“While waiting for the local transport route plan, I received a suggestion for the use of a shuttle bus from point to point, wherein tourists can visit tourist destinations,” the lawmaker added.

Veloso admitted that they still lack some tourism facilities but they are now making steps to have these facilities by talking with some investors who want to put up a business in the district.

She disclosed that she wants to meet with architects who are into developing heritage homes and to the owners of ancestral houses in the district.

Veloso also said that she already talked with officials of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).
(RGLA/Contributor)