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Friday, March 29, 2024

‘Please avoid teen pregnancy’

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FLORA, Apayao—Lone District of Apayao Rep. Eleanor C. Bulut-Begtang has urged students and their parents here to “please avoid teenage pregnancy and focus on your studies.”

Speaking at the inauguration and turnover ceremony of a multi-purpose gym and two school buildings on the opening day of classes Monday at one of the province’s most innermost secondary schools, the lawmaker noted that the Cordillera Administrative Region has the highest rate of teen pregnancies in the country.

Flora town, she added, is among the municipalities with the highest pregnancy rates, but apologized for not having any available data.

Based on a 2013 Population Commission survey, Apayao has averaged 50 to 55 teenage pregnancies among those 16 to 20 years old. Baguio City alone has recorded 1,006 live births by teenagers aged 16 to 20, based on local civil registrar records in 2015. 

Popcom tallies population of the Cordilleras at 1.7 million, one of the lowest compared to other regions, with two to three children per family.

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While Congress is on recess, Bulut-Begtang has been touring the seven municipalities of the province, saying this is only one of the opportunities to meet the people “and personally feel their miseries, get to know their problems, and extend to them her well-wishes.”

“Always remember that life is becoming harder. So you should not complicate your miseries further (with early pregnancies),” she told the students of Mayor Ricardo De San Jose Comprehensive High School as well as their teachers, parents and local public officials.

The newly-renovated multipurpose gymnasium, worth P2 million and located in Barangay Sta. Maria here, was completed early last year but had been destroyed by Typhoon “Lawin” in October 2016, with damages reaching P500,000, Bulut-Begtang said.

Also being built beside the gym is a three-story senior high school edifice with 24 classrooms and the standard-type classrooms at the school’s eastern side, which are already being used.

District engineer Januario Garde of the Department of Public Works and Highways said these three projects are under the Local Development Fund through the office of Rep. Bulut-Begtang.

Also present during the occasion were Mayor Rodolfo B. Juan, Vice Mayor Jessica L. De San Jose, Councilor Aniceta T. Cacacho, Schools Division superintendent Dr. Amador Garcia, principal Remigio Tomas, provincial board member Elmer Molina, and councilor-brothers Florendo D. Conde and Demetrio Conde Jr., who are from this barangay.

Another Conde, Robert, is a head teacher at MRDCHS. 

In his closing remarks, Robert recalled that it was the late Rep. Elias C. Bulut Sr., father of Bulut-Begtang, who authored the bill creating four schools in the province of Apayao, including De San Jose High.

“We started with 160 students. On our fourth year, we have already averaged 360. Today we have around 500 students,” he said.

Robert thanked the Bulut family for their full support. “We in the DepEd cannot improve our school without your help. And the challenge for us teachers is to do our job well.”

He reassured the solon that the issue of teen pregnancy “was well noted” by the teachers.

As of June 5, the total number of students who showed-up at the opening day of classes for school year 2017-2018 was 464. That total is expected to increase compared to last year’s tally of 434.

Mayor Juan said these projects are the results of unity among the province leaders. He thanked the principal and the teachers for taking care of the school, He expressed gratitude to the lady solon for gracing the occasion.

Principal Tomas, who is the chairman in the Cordillera Administrative Region of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, told the parents and residents they can use the school’s facilities “but there will be proper way so that these would be well protected and maintained.”

He said there is still a lot to improve with the school, and challenged the local leaders to do their share. Mayor Juan reassured the teachers the roof of the bleachers on the left side of the gym will be funded by LGU-Flora.

Vice Mayor De San Jose thanked the lawmaker and the DPWH for their continuing efforts to extend assistance to the municipality. She challenged the teachers and the students to take good care of the facilities.

“I can see that Flora is very progressive and I am happy to be here with your today. It is me who told my staff to coordinate with the local officials so that I can also join the inauguration ceremonies of these buildings because this is only the time when I can personally meet you,” Bulut-Begtang said.

She said the teachers should be the ones locals should thank “because they were the once who initiated the projects” adding they “exerted efforts and waited a long time just to put this to reality.

“Now that we have the infrastructure, it is up to the students to focus on their studies. Life is hard, but that is not an excuse for us not to study harder. To the parents, continue to inspire your children. Tell them not to engage in teen pregnancy and help them stay away from illegal drugs. In this way, they can pursue their dreams,” she said.

Bulut-Begtang said it is important to find ways to fight against poverty, and education is very crucial to that.

“I am a product of the mountains. Even though my father was a mayor, I made sure that I study well. I made my father as my inspiration, and I want you also to do the same,” she said.

Bulut-Begtang said she wants graduates who can qualify to serve Apayao. “We want better professionals than what we have right now, because this will lead us to a progressive province in the future. We also aim for cityhood someday. I am in Congress because of you and I will do my best to make Apayao a better place.”

She assured the locals she will continue to support scholarship programs, especially at the Apayao State College in the town of Luna, where the Capitol is located.

Earlier in the day, the lady solon attended the monthly Kapehan sa Kapitolyo, which was held for the first time in the municipality of Flora.

Bulut-Begtang told the cream of the crop of DepEd of Flora, including principals, division and district supervisors and head teachers in attendance to hold a summit to resolve some issues and concerns.

Directors and heads of national line agencies established in the province were also present in the Kapehan to update the officials of LGU-Flora and barangay officials on the status of their programs.

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