THE Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) 7 got the approval from the Bohol Provincial Development Council (PDC) for its proposed P5.959 million budget for 2021.
The budget was approved by virtue of PDC Execom Resolution No. 50-2020 on Oct. 21, 2020. It was signed by Bohol Gov. Arthur C. Yap, the PDC chairman, and John Titus J. Vistal, the PDC Secretariat head.
The Bohol PDC held a virtual conference on Oct. 21. It was led by Yap, Vice Gov. Rene Lopez Relampagos and the three lawmakers from the province’s three districts—Representatives Edgar M. Chatto (1st district), Erico Aristotle Aumentado (2nd district) and Hon. Kristine Alexie Besas-Tutor (3rd district). The same online meeting was attended by PopCom 7 Director Bruce N. Ragas and Technical Division officer-in-charge Sybel Alquizola.
Yap expressed his concerns on teenage pregnancy in Bohol. He requested the PopCom 7 to work with his office regarding the matter.
Adolescent health
The PopCom 7 has always been focusing on its adolescent health development program, particularly its H.E.A.R.T. to H.E.A.R.T. Teen Talk Advocacy Campaign, which has already been endorsed by the Commission on Higher Education 7 and the Department of Education 7, including its office in Tagbilaran City.
The H.E.A.R.T. acronym stands for discussions on HIV, AIDS, and Sexually-Transmitted Infection (STI); early sexual encounters; adolescent sexuality; reproductive health; and teenage pregnancy. It was developed by the PopCom 7 population representative Carl Dave Ang in 2017.
The latest data released by the Department of Health-Center for Health Development in Central Visayas shows an increase of teenage pregnancies aged 10 to 14 years old from 0.13 percent in 2018 to 0.96 percent in 2019 in Bohol Province.
Bohol Province has registered the highest percentage (0.96 percent) of teenage pregnancies aged 10-14 compared to other counterparts in the region. On the other hand, Bohol Province had a decline in teenage pregnancies aged 15-19 from 6.22 percent in 2018 to 3.91 percent in 2019.
The approved budget in Bohol Province also seals the PopCom 7’s Population Development Integration Program with Bohol as partner local government unit together with the population officers. The budget approval came also in time as the PopCom 7 celebrated the POPDEV Week from Nov. 23 to 29.
The PopCom 7 proposed a budget with the Bohol PDC in compliance with National Budget Memorandum No. 133 dated Nov. 29, 2019 and the National Budget Call for 2021 requiring agencies to undertake consultations and coordination with the local government units (LGU) within the Regional Development Councils to ensure that the national priorities are responsive to regional and local needs in a manner that the LGU development capacities are strengthened in the process.