TO prevent any increase in teenage pregnancies in Cagayan de Oro City, Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy called on the city’s parents Monday not to allow their teenage children to go out late at night.
“(As a local official) I’m asking you to help us guard our children. Don’t let them out at night especially late in the evening. What would they do outside anyway unless you send them out on errands? Most likely they would be (with friends or their sweethearts),” Mayor Uy said in Visayan to residents of Barangay Bayanga after attending their barangay flag-raising program.
This was the second time that Mayor Uy issued this appeal to parents after last week’s flag-raising program in Barangay Agusan.
The Agusan flag-raising activity also saw Mayor Uy meeting and talking with the barangay’s parents whom he urged to help City Hall prevent teenage pregnancies.
Mayor Uy earlier said he will dialogue with parents as part of his administration’s campaign to reduce the city’s teen pregnancy rate.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Cagayan de Oro City ranked second to Bukidnon province in the number of teen pregnancies with 47 percent and 46 percent in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
In a previous press briefing, City Health Officer Dr. Rachel Dilla said teen pregnancies went down to 37 percent and 33 percent in 2020 and 2021 at the height of the pandemic.
“In Cagayan de Oro City, about 31 of the 57 teenage mothers (logged last year) were from Cagayan de Oro City while 26 came from other areas. In Barangay Bayanga, we recorded seven teen pregnancies. We hope that we don’t record any more teen pregnancies in this barangay or any other barangay in Cagayan de Oro City. Your children should attend to their studies instead,” Dr. Dilla told the Bayanga residents in attendance in Visayan.
Mayor Uy also echoed Dr. Dilla’s sentiments, citing Dr. Dilla’s disclosure that teenage girls are not physically ready to bear children.
“That’s why when they give birth it’s usually by caesarian operation. Since they’re not ready to assume motherhood, they leave their children to the care of their parents who are already burned financially, hence that cycle of poverty continues,” Mayor Uy said in Visayan.
Mayor Uy said he hoped Barangay Bayanga officials enforce a curfew on teenage children as part of their efforts to help their constituents.
City Ordinance 4373-94 allowed for the implementation of a curfew on children aged 14 years old and younger. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
