THE Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) has set its sights to reach over 100,000 young people in Eastern Visayas with good quality comprehensive sexuality education by the end of 2021 after the Department of Education (DepEd) approved its supplemental learning activity sheet.
Dubbed as Sexually Healthy and Personally Effective (Shape) Adolescents, the information and learning material covers Adolescent Sexuality and Reproductive Health (ASRH) developed by the agency amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
"Unknown periods of physical distancing measures and school closures are seen to leave adolescents and young people without access to essential ASRH information, services and rights including comprehensive sexuality education which can be provided to them in schools," said PopCom regional director Elnora Pulma.
"Restrictions to movement prevent young people from going to health clinics, while the closure of the schools disrupts reproductive health education and prevents students from visiting school-based health centers that offer counseling and reproductive health care, as well as broader social support," she added.
According to the agency, the school closures imposed since March 2020 to contain the Covid-19 have impacted almost 100 percent of the student population.
In Eastern Visayas alone, Popcom said high rates of early and unintended pregnancies, Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV), and sexually transmitted infections, and gender-based violence continue to threaten young people, while the negative consequences of confinement on health and well-being are heightened.
"However, these challenges can be mitigated by continuing the provision of ASRH information through the modular learning set-up and finding innovative ways to offer preventive and protective services," Popcom said in a statement.
Ahlette Reyes, Popcom regional information officer, said the condensed Shape learning activity sheet will be integrated in schools for subjects such as Science, Health, Araling Panlipunan and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao.
"The Covid-19 pandemic is having a tremendous effect on young people's lives, health and well-being, and its medium and long term impacts could be devastating if adequate measures are not taken to guarantee basic rights for the young people," said Reyes.
Since January 2021, PopCom personnel have distributed the supplemental Shape learning Activity sheet to different schools in Leyte, Samar and Biliran, reaching about 15,000 adolescent learners. (SunStar Philippines)