ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / July 2, 2013) – Surely, parenting is not the easiest task but it is personally gratifying. On the contrary, there are many parents who face difficult challenges while nurturing adolescents in their families.
Today’s adolescents are vulnerable to the pressures of rapidly evolving society. They constantly face changing cultural realities and present a tough challenge for families, school managers and government to handle.
Owing to technological advances and multimedia exposure, they experience an earlier onset of puberty and sexual activity. The sad part is that research has shown that modern youth have little knowledge about the adverse consequences of their risky sexual behaviors.
Experts believe that the way to an adolescent’s heart and mind is through communication. However, Filipino researchers have found that although adolescents themselves are willing to talk to their parents about their sexuality and reproductive health concerns, the communication between Filipino adolescents and their parents is low.
According to the Parent Education on Adolescent Health and Development modules published by the Commission on Population or POPCOM in 2008, most Filipino parents feel uncomfortable or are not capable of discussing matters related to adolescent reproductive health and sexuality with their adolescents.
The National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) of 2008 revealed that 4 out of 10 Filipinos are under 15 years of age, indicating that our society is predominantly composed of young people. Another disturbing fact is that, on average, 23% of youth have had premarital sex and almost half of all pregnancies in the country or almost 800,000 births annually are unplanned according to the same survey.
More young Filipinos engaged in risky sexual behaviors and premarital sex increased from 17.8% in 1994 to 23.1% in 2002 based on Youth and Adolescent Fertility Survey of 2002 while teenage pregnancy also increased from 7% in 1998 to 8% in 2003 according to the National Demographic and Health Survey of 2003.
The National Demographic and Health Survey or NDHS is part of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program designed to collect, analyze, and disseminate demographic data on fertility, family planning, and maternal and child health, including the factors that affect them. NDHS also provides helpful inputs to policy formulation and monitoring activities and researches pertaining to health and family planning conducted by the government and private sectors.
Why is parent education on adolescent reproductive health and sexuality development critical to the well-being of today’s youth? How could we empower families to cope with realities that confront today’s youth?
The family is the primary source of values and care among adolescents. No less than the World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized that positive parent-child relation is a potent protective force to deter adolescents from early sexual intercourse.
In its 2002 release, the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality survey also revealed that positive parent-child relation reduces the likelihood of overall risky sexual activity among Filipino adolescents.
When the POPCOM launched the Parent Education Program on Adolescent Health and Development some five years back, it primarily aimed to affirm parental involvement in sexuality and reproductive health development among adolescents and youth.
Implemented via the Learning Package on Parent Education on Adolescent Health and Development or LPPED, the program gathered 10 couples for a three-day workshop on “Me as a Parent”, “Me and My Family”, “Knowing and Understanding My Adolescent”, “Building Positive Relationship with My Adolescent”, and “Harnessing the Life Skills of My Adolescent”.
LPPEd is carried out in two modalities. In Type1 mode, the couples are trained on all modules. In Type 2 mode, both the parents and their adolescent son or daughter attend the workshop. Overall, LPPEd aspires to contribute to the improvement and promotion of the total well-being of Filipino adolescents.
By equipping parents with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude on managing their adolescents’ sexuality and reproductive health-related concerns, their confidence in communicating the right information to their adolescent child is boosted and the bond that shields teenagers from unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and pre-marital sexual adventures is fortified.
Just this May, the Commission on Population Regional Office in Western Mindanao, in collaboration with Isabela City Population Officer Jesielyn Puno, conducted Type 1 LPPEd class in Isabela City in Basilan provonce.
Attended by 10 couples, the workshop generated mixed reactions from the participants at the start. Later on, the participants were united in admitting that the information drive known as LPPEd has given them the opportunity to erase their own misconceptions about teenage sexuality and reproductive health.
In the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay and in the cities of Pagadian, Dapitan, Dipolog, and Zamboanga, both Types 1 and 2 classes have already been conducted.
With the Learning Package on Parent Education on Adolescent Health and Development, parents are now able close the “communication gap” with their teenagers and feel empowered more than ever to teach their teenagers with life skills to help them become productive citizens who are able to contribute to nation building and to their own personal progress. (With a report from Sisil Abuy)
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