Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is pushing for the nationwide implementation of the ProtecTEEN Program, a social welfare initiative that provides a comprehensive and systematic response to adolescent pregnancy across the country. As part of the continuing pilot implementation of the program, the DSWD Field Office 10 (Northern Mindanao) formalized its partnership with the local government unit (LGU) of Cagayan de Oro City last Dec. 2 with the signing of a memorandum of agreement to support the pilot implementation of the Enhanced ProtecTEEN Program in selected barangays.
According to Philippines News Agency, the partnership aims to strengthen psychosocial support, parenting interventions, and service referral mechanisms for adolescent mothers and their children, marking another milestone in the expansion of the program at the local level. 'The Enhanced ProtecTEEN Program carries one profound purpose; to advance the holistic well-being of our adolescent mothers by providing strengthened psychosocial interventions, opportunities for capacity building, parenting support, and access to resources that promote healing, empowerment, and resilience,' Special Assistant to the Secretary for Field Office Special Programs and FO 10 concurrent OIC Regional Director Ramel Jamen said in a news release on Friday.
The DSWD has also conducted data gathering activities for the evaluation phase of the ProtecTEEN Program in several pilot areas nationwide. These activities are part of the DSWD's commitment to evidence-based programming, ensuring that policy and program enhancements are grounded on field realities and actual beneficiary outcomes.
As part of its ongoing expansion, the DSWD will conduct a project launch and payout activity in Iloilo province to support eligible adolescent mother-beneficiaries through social assistance and complementary services. 'With the enhancements introduced to the program anchored on empirical data, field insights, and the evolving needs of our adolescent mother we are taking a significant step forward in our collective pursuit to address adolescent pregnancy,' Jamen said.
'We aim to bridge service gaps, improve referral pathways, enhance developmental interventions, and strengthen community-based support systems that safeguard our young mothers' rights and future,' he added. The DSWD, in partnership with LGUs and other institutions, remains committed to scaling up the ProtecTEEN Program as a nationwide campaign through sustained collaboration.
