By Mariela Angella Oladive
The Iloilo Provincial Government, in partnership with PHAPCares Foundation, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Philippines, the Department of Education Iloilo, and the Department of Health Western Visayas, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Tuesday, October 21, to launch the “Healthy Youth, Healthy Future” project. The initiative aims to improve the health of 30,000 adolescents across the province.
The project will address issues such as teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, mental health concerns, and non-communicable diseases, including hypertension and diabetes. It will offer free health services and education through Youth Adolescent Centers, to be established in local primary care facilities, barangay health stations, and schools.
The program will initially be implemented in the towns of Carles, Pototan, and Mina.
Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. emphasized the importance of the project, citing the urgency of addressing these health challenges to secure the future of Iloilo’s youth. He described the initiative as “timely and complementary” to ongoing youth and teen development programs in the province.
AstraZeneca Philippines Country President Lotis Ramin underscored the wider impact of improving adolescent health, noting that the program would create a “triple dividend” effect, benefiting not only the youth but also their communities.
The project will also train 210 local health youth champions, or peer educators, across 105 barangays, ensuring long-term health advocacy and setting the stage for possible expansion to 39 additional municipalities.
Mina Mayor Lydia E. Grabato highlighted the need for accurate data collection in local governments, saying, “A reliable database in every LGU will make this program work better for us.”
Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon, Iloilo Provincial Health Office chief, thanked all the partners involved and expressed hope for the project’s eventual expansion throughout the province.
