Reaffirming its commitment towards the holistic development of the youth, the Iloilo provincial government continues with the construction of teen center buildings in secondary schools to provide a dedicated venue for the psychosocial and reproductive health needs of young people.
Lea Mae Oliveros, teen center coordinator, expressed her gratitude to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. for establishing The Junction Teen Center 2.0 at New Lucena National Comprehensive High School which will serve as a safe space for teenagers to express themselves freely.
“Sometimes our teenagers are not comfortable confiding to their parents and teachers. So one of the benefits of having a teen center is that there are available peer helpers with whom our teenagers can relate to. We don’t need to give them advice, we just need to give them a listening ear, ” she said.
Oliveros said the facility is also expected to address the prevailing challenges faced by the youth particularly on mental health and teenage pregnancy.
She added that they can also work with the Rural Health Unit of New Lucena to help the adolescents understand their reproductive health and address those who are at risk of teenage pregnancy.
The Teen Center 2.0 infrastructure project involves the construction of a single-storey building complete with all the necessary equipment dedicated for the development and empowerment of the youth. It is a brainchild of Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. and is implemented through the Provincial Population Office.
Key stakeholders led by Governor Defensor were in attendance today to celebrate the start of the construction of the facility. Also gracing the groundbreaking ceremony are Mayor Mayor Liecel Mondejar Seville, Vice Mayor Isabelo Acollador, the Sangguniang Bayan Members, Provincial Population Office chief Atty. Ruel Von Superio, Anilao Mayor Lee Ann Debuque who represented the League of Municipalities of the Philippines – Iloilo Chapter, School Principal II Roy Soldevilla, barangay officials, and the PPO staff, among others.
Atty. Superio said this initiative is a proof of the Iloilo provincial government’s dedication to shaping the future of the young people.
“As we lay the time capsule, we are sending a message to the future – that today, we believed in our youth, we invested in their potential, and we built a place where they could grow, thrive, and succeed,” the PPO chief said.
Governor Defensor took pride in Iloilo being the only province in the country that has embarked on the construction of teen center buildings. He stressed that the facility is a testament that the provincial government is not just concerned with the academic needs of the youth but also their psychosocial well-being.
“We want to have a total approach to your development. Our school is not complete without our teen center that will house all our programs intended for the youth,” Defensor said. (Capitol News)
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