LGUs commit to address adolescent pregnancies through local legislation

Recognizing the crucial role of local government units (LGUs) in addressing urgent health and development concerns, local legislators, officials, and other stakeholders from the provinces Albay, Dinagat Islands, Biliran, and Leyte drafted their respective provinces’ proposed local ordinances to address adolescent pregnancies in their respective provinces during a policy development workshop held on July 15-16. 

Aside from ensuring adolescent-friendly information and services, sexuality education, and social protection for adolescent parents, the importance of involving adolescents as well as the promotion of male involvement in policymaking and decision-making were also identified to be crucial in the success of any intervention on adolescent reproductive health. 

The LGUs committed to see through the enactment of the ordinances and their implementation even as we approach the 2022 elections. 

The policy development workshop held on July 15-16 is the first in a series of workshops with local legislators and is a follow-up to a series of webinars on adolescent reproductive health that PLCPD launched in 2020 with the support of UNFPA.