The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Over 1,000 delegates watched as Team TeenPUYOG, from Region XII – SOCCSKSARGEN, was named the Grand Champion of Ideas Positive Run 8 at an annual youth forum on public health, held in Iloilo City last August 12 and 13. Their project, IDOLescent M.A.T.T.E.R, empowered peer educators to engage T’boli youth on the prevention of teenage pregnancy.
Engaging the indigenous community through peer education
The team’s youth members, Claresse Ann Bautista, Desirre Merced Mae Pagaduan, Elizabeth Ariel Hannah Maturan, Edgardo Martinez, and Raffle Tagapulotan, were assisted by their mentor, Godwin Lord Gallo. They explained, “The positive idea behind this project is to capacitate our IDOLescents to take lead in [addressing] teenage pregnancy through peer education.”
The project helped reduce teenage pregnancy by 50% during the time of implementation. The team believes that the key to their project’s success was “the positive engagement of the indigenous community of T’boli in Barangay Maligang, together with the barangay council and Sangguniang Kabataan.”
The awarding of the Grand Champion was the highlight of the two-day Ideas Positive Youth Forum on Public Health, organized by Unilab Foundation (ULF). Youth delegates were joined by representatives from civil society organizations, government agencies and local government units, advocates and persons with disability. All the sessions were designed with the objective of discussing pressing health issues and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the solutions that can be contributed by the youth.
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