A significant improvement in the campaign against teenage pregnancy has been recorded in Moises Padilla after the town ranked 30th in the latest provincial data released in Negros Occidental.
The update was presented by the Provincial Health Office during the regular meeting of the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC), led by Mayor Ella Garcia Yulo on Thursday, April 23.
The new ranking marked a major decline in cases compared to last year, when the municipality was included in the Top 5 areas with the highest number of teenage pregnancies in the province, a press release from Moises Padilla said.
Alongside the positive results, the Provincial Health Office also introduced the Key Assistance for Developing Adolescents Network or KADA Network, a program of the Department of Health aimed at establishing youth-friendly offices that provide guidance and reproductive health services for young people, while also helping prevent HIV.
The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office also presented its report on the successful implementation of child-focused programs.
According to the office, the municipality received high marks in development, survival, protection, governance, and LCPC functionality, reflecting the local government’s serious commitment to safeguarding the welfare of children and youth.
Meanwhile, Quidan Kaisahan Negros Occidental Inc. called for stronger action against child labor.
The group said poverty remains a major reason why some children stop attending school and are forced to work in sugarcane fields.
The LCPC remains the mandated body responsible for implementing child welfare programs under Republic Act No. 9344 and Presidential Decree No. 603 to ensure that Moises Padilla remains a child-friendly municipality.*
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