Iloilo city: A total of 71 adolescent mothers from Iloilo City have been chosen as beneficiaries of the pilot implementation of the Psychosocial Support and other Interventions for Adolescent Mothers and their Families Project (ProtecTEEN) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The program was launched in Iloilo City on Wednesday, with the beneficiaries receiving their initial PHP3,000 monthly stipend or economic empowerment grant, which they can avail in two years if they remain compliant with the specific conditions of the program.
According to Philippines News Agency, ProtecTEEN aims to provide a comprehensive program for adolescent mothers, focusing on prevention, recovery, and development to help them become socially functioning and contributing members of society. The program's interventions include family healing sessions, case management, livelihood and educational assistance, capacity-building activities, and referrals to other government or private organizations.
An interview with Social Welfare Officer II Russel Parre±o of the DSWD Western Visayas Social Technology Unit II revealed that ProtecTEEN seeks to protect the rights of adolescent mothers and promote their psychosocial well-being. He emphasized that adolescent mothers are a vulnerable group, with potential impacts on their social, emotional, and economic status.
The beneficiaries were selected based on specific criteria, including being aged 9 to 19, having at least one child, being categorized as vulnerable and disadvantaged, not being members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, not cohabiting or married when below 18 years old, and being willing to comply with the program conditions. These conditions include attending healing sessions, availing of medical consultations, avoiding repeated pregnancy, and obtaining consent from their guardians or mothers to participate in the healing and recovery sessions.
The program is also being piloted in San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan and Cagayan de Oro City. After the pilot period, the program's effectiveness and sustainability will be evaluated. If successful, it will be packaged for rollout or institutionalized by the national government as a program for adolescent mothers. Parre±o noted that local government units like Iloilo City could adopt the program through an ordinance to expand its benefits to other adolescent mothers.
