Peer pressure, social media among factors of early pregnancy

OF SAN FERNANDO – The Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) Region 3 cited peer pressure and social media as among the factors of early pregnancy.

Based on studies on repeated adolescent pregnancy, the influence of social layers is among the factors as to why the pregnancy occurs.

“Repeated adolescent pregnancy means more than one pregnancy of a young woman before reaching the age of 19. Our researches show that this happens because there have been instances that teens are engaging into relationships without knowing the consequences,” POPCOM Information Officer Adreal Denver Monterona sai d.

Teens are more likely to be influenced and pressured by what they see on social media especially since the COVID-19 pandemic boosted their time in using gadgets.

Also, other crucial factors attributed to the prevalence of teenage pregnancy include lack of information about reproductive health and sexuality, ineffective or lack of parental guidance, poverty, and early engagement in risky behaviors.

“Since the first pregnancy until subsequent pregnancies, we found out that it is an interplay of factors. Adolescent pregnancy is not just about the adolescents, it’s also about their parents, their friends, their partners, and even the community they belong to,” Monterona stated.

Among the 20,974 recorded pregnant adolescents in Central Luzon, 311 or 1.48 percent live births are from mothers in the young ages of 10-14.

In addition, POPCOM said teenage pregnancy is a threat to the health not only of young mothers, but also of children.

“We know that pregnancy has ill effects on the overall wellness of the mothers. We know that when a woman is pregnant, there are risks that we have to guard. The risks become doubled in terms of health concerns if the pregnant mother is an adolescent,” Monterona explained.

POPCOM said children born to very young mothers are at a higher risk of diseases and death.

Moreover, adolescent pregnancy is also a concern on the total development of the individual with implications on family, community, and socio-economic factors.

“The affected are not only the young mothers but also the young fathers. They have to stop schooling to take care of their baby. Because they stopped schooling, employment opportunities become limited for them to foster something for their future,” he sai d.

As adolescents, they are at the age when they should just be thinking of how to be productive citizens but because of being young parents, they are now thinking not just of themselves, but also the families they built.

Monterona bared that young parents are still dependent on their parents, and that dependence was doubled with the presence of their baby.

As an effect to the economy, having teens who are unable to pursue their education would lessen the employment rate and the labor force of the country.

Zambales MSMEDC Chairperson Benjamin Farin Jr. said the establishment of the pasalubong center is a dream come true for the council and the MSMEs in the province.

“We thank the Camara family for providing a venue to accommodate the center. With this, I also call on my fellow MSMEs to continue improving our products so that we can contribute to the recovery of the local economy,” Farin said.

For her part, DTI OIC-Regional Director Leonila Baluyut stressed the need to improve the branding of Zambales products to widen its market and increase the income of local MSMEs.

“We at the DTI are always ready to support local MSMEs through capability building, product development, intellectual property registration, brand development, mentoring, and other business development assistance to level up our entrepreneurs not only in Zambales, but in the entire Central Luzon,” Baluyut said.

She also urged them to venture into e-commerce, adding that during this time, online presence is important to gain customers and sell products.

For his part, Provincial Administrator Jun Omar Ebdane expressed support to the project and assured DTI that he will urge the provincial government and other offices to patronize the products displayed at the center.

In addition, DTI Provincial Director Enrique Tacbad announced the Halal Certification of four MSMEsintheprovince including Green Thumb Agri Products, Sonia’s Sweets, Cora’s Cashew Delights, and Mistica Dairy Products.

“Their recent certification shows the quality and readiness of the products of the province to reach not only the local market but also the foreign market as well,” Tacbad said.

At least 26 MSMEs selling food and nonfood items displayed their products at the Pasalubong Center, including mangobased products, sweets and delicacies, homemade condiments, wines, and souvenir items.

VICTORIA, Tarlac – Municipal government of Victoria allotted PhP 5 million for the purchase of COVID19 vaccines.

Mayor Christian Yap said they already identified the vaccination centers and possible priority sectors.

“Since the national and provincial government prioritize our frontliners and senior citizens, we are targeting the family members of the frontliners as one of our priority sectors,” he remarked.

On top of the funds for COVID-19 vaccines, Yap cited the PhP 1 million budget for tangibles such as syringes, cotton and other logistical requirements in the vaccination centers.

“Based on the tripartite agreement of the national government, local government units and pharmaceutical companies, procurement processes can be done through the provincial government. Thus, we already wrote a letter to our governor,” he explained.

Yap noted allocated funds for the vaccination program came from the PhP12 million savings.