ILOILO City — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Western Visayas has rolled out a pilot program in Iloilo City aimed at addressing teenage pregnancy and supporting adolescent mothers, selecting 71 young women as initial beneficiaries of sustained psychosocial and economic assistance.
The program, dubbed Psychosocial Support and Other Interventions for Adolescent Mothers and Their Families or ProtecTEEN, was launched on December 17 and offers a two-year package of support that includes counselling, family healing sessions, skills training, and a P3,000 monthly economic empowerment grant.
Implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development through its Social Technology Bureau, ProtecTEEN focuses on prevention, recovery, and development interventions to help adolescent mothers rebuild their lives and become socially functional.
“We are thrilled to launch ProtecTeen here in Iloilo City, where we can directly address the issue of teenage pregnancy and provide a support to our young mothers who deserve a chance to thrive,” said DSWD-6 Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Joselito G. Estember.
Beneficiaries will receive the monthly stipend for up to two years, subject to compliance with program conditions, including attendance in healing sessions and adherence to recovery and development goals.
Social Welfare Officer II Russel Parreño of the DSWD Western Visayas Social Technology Unit II stressed the vulnerability of adolescent mothers and the need for targeted interventions.
“They are one of the vulnerable groups, and their circumstances can profoundly affect their social, emotional, and economic health,” Parreño said.
The program includes family healing sessions, case management, livelihood and educational assistance, capacity-building activities, and referrals to government and private support services.
Eligible beneficiaries are aged nine to 19, have at least one child, are not covered by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and are neither married nor cohabiting below 18. Participants must also commit to program conditions such as seeking medical care, avoiding subsequent pregnancies, and securing guardian consent.
ProtecTEEN is also being piloted in San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan and Cagayan de Oro City. The DSWD said the program will undergo evaluation after the pilot phase to determine its effectiveness and possible nationwide rollout or institutionalization./PN
