CPD Region IX

08/05/2026

05/05/2026

02/05/2026

CPD IX Holds FOCUS: 2026-2028 Workshop to Boost AHD Implementation in Region IX

01/05/2026

𝐂𝐏𝐃 𝐈𝐗 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐎𝐂𝐔𝐒 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔–𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟖 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐇𝐃 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐗

IPIL, ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY — The Commission on Population and Development Region IX (CPD IX) spearheaded the Strategic Planning and Orientation Workshop on FOCUS 2026–2028: Advancing Adolescent Health and Development (AHD) on April 29–30, 2026, at the Sibugay International Hotel. The activity gathered Local Population Officers, POPDEV-designated personnel, and key focal persons to align regional and local initiatives with the framework’s strategic direction.

The workshop served as a critical platform to harmonize projects, programs, and activities of local government units (LGUs) in response to the region’s pressing adolescent pregnancy situation. With the Zamboanga Peninsula recording the highest teenage pregnancy rate at 9.3% based on the 2025 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), CPD IX emphasized the need for more focused, data-driven, and multisectoral AHD interventions.

Central to the workshop was the alignment of LGU plans with the five strategic pillars of the FOCUS AHD Framework: strengthening comprehensive reproductive health education, expanding adolescent-friendly health services, reinforcing child protection systems, promoting youth empowerment and participation, and transforming social norms and enabling environments. These pillars guided the planning sessions to ensure that local strategies are integrated, responsive, and results-oriented.

In her message, Regional Director Leticia Dolores II C. Abao emphasized a synergy-driven, whole-of-society approach, highlighting sustained collaboration among CPD, LGUs, development partners, and communities as essential to maximizing resources and achieving desired results. She underscored that collective action and shared accountability are key to effectively addressing adolescent pregnancy in the region.

As an output, participants developed their Local POPDEV Implementation Plans for CY 2026–2028, translating the FOCUS framework into concrete, localized actions. These plans outline priority adolescent health programs and interventions anchored on the strategic pillars, serving as a roadmap for LGUs to effectively address adolescent pregnancy and improve youth outcomes in their respective areas.

29/04/2026

𝐙𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲

The Commission on Population and Development IX (CPD IX) provided key support to the Department of Health – Zamboanga Peninsula Center for Health Development (DOH-ZPCHD) in facilitating the conduct of the 1st Semester Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Regional Implementation Team (RPH-RIT) Meeting held on April 28, 2026, at the Grand Astoria Hotel in Zamboanga City.

The meeting brought together regional line agencies and partner non-government organizations to assess ongoing RPRH initiatives and align strategies addressing reproductive health concerns in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

In the Zamboanga Peninsula, the session was presided over by OIC–Local Health Division Chief Dr. Dennis Dacayanan of DOH ZPCHD on behalf of RD Lenny Joy Rivera, RIT Chair, with CPD IX Regional Director Leticia Dolores II C. Abao serving as Co-Chair. Discussions centered on the persistent challenge of adolescent pregnancy in the region, including the presentation of the Director Abao of the RDC-IX–approved framework, FOCUS 2026–2028: Advancing Adolescent Health and Development. The plan outlines a regional, multisectoral approach in reducing adolescent pregnancy, emphasizing sustained, evidence-based, and youth-centered strategies.

Other agenda included the comprehensive presentation on regional data and current interventions of the Department of Education Region IX (DepEd IX) on adolescent pregnancy; school-level insights from Zamboanga City High School (Main) and Talon-Talon National High School highlighting responsive learner support programs; the roles of RPRH Implementation Teams and local governance responses to adolescent pregnancy from the Department of the Interior and Local Government Region IX (DILG IX). Meanwhile, the Zuellig Family Foundation, through The Challenge Initiative (TCI) 20.30, introduced scalable and innovative approaches to strengthening adolescent health programs across local government units.

The meeting concluded with a unified call to intensify inter-agency collaboration, recognizing that the Zamboanga Peninsula continues to record one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy in the country, coupled with the highest poverty incidence. All in all, the meeting emphasized the importance of consistent and updated data reporting from local government to harness policy making and timely interventions; strengthening of referral system to address persistent issues on early pregnancy; and intensifying stakeholders’ commitment to a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to curb adolescent pregnancy and advance the overall health and well-being of the youth.

28/04/2026

Thank you for this CPD IX article published online, The Monitor Mindanao Today

𝐂𝐏𝐃 𝐈𝐗 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐯𝐬. 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲

27/04/2026

The government, through the Commission on Population and Development (CPD)-9, is intensifying its campaign to curb teenage pregnancy in the Zamboanga Peninsula, following data showing the region has the highest adolescent pregnancy rate in the country.

Read the full story in the comments.

27/04/2026

𝐂𝐏𝐃, 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐄𝐝 𝐈𝐗 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, April 27, 2026 -
A significant step toward strengthening adolescent health and development in Region IX was marked today as the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) conducted a courtesy visit to the newly installed Officer-in-Charge Regional Director of the Department of Education (DepEd) Region IX, Dr. Ronelo Al. K. Firmo, CESO IV.

During the visit, CPD Regional Director EnP Leticia Dolores II C. Abao presented the FOCUS 2026–2028: Advancing Adolescent Health and Development (AHD) Framework, outlining a comprehensive roadmap designed to strengthen support systems for adolescents, most especially in reducing teenage pregnancies. The framework emphasizes integrated approaches spanning education, health services, and community engagement.

The discussion that followed was both strategic and forward-looking, as DepED IX was able to identify commitments and ongoing efforts to align strategies to the FOCUS AAHD Pillar No. 1: Reproductive Health Education and Life Skills, with interventions cutting across others on child protection, youth empowerment and governance mechanisms. This resulted in several key agreements that will shape the region’s direction over the coming years.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

DepEd Region IX is committed to prioritizing the assignment of Guidance Associates in schools with existing School-Based Teen Centers, recognizing the critical role of mentorship and counseling in adolescent development. To institutionalize these efforts, the regional office will also issue a formal policy supporting the establishment of School-Based Teen Centers in all schools in the region.

Likewise in addressing adolescent nutrition—particularly among vulnerable groups—DepEd will integrate its Universal Feeding Program into monitoring and evaluation indicators. This ensures that adolescent mothers and pregnant learners receive consistent daily nutritional support, minimizing stunting and wasting among newborn babies.

A major milestone includes the development of a three-year regional plan aligned with the AHD Framework, signaling a structured and sustained approach to adolescent-focused programs. DepEd will also provide CPD with curriculum materials where Reproductive Health Education (RHE) is embedded, supporting alignment and program enhancement.

For its part, CPD Region IX pledged continuous technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives for teachers, guidance counselors, and school nurses. It will also share key resources such as the AHD Technical Working Group Terms of Reference, SHAPE-A modules for curriculum integration, and data identifying municipalities with the highest rates of adolescent live births—ensuring that interventions remain data-driven and targeted.

𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝

Beyond immediate commitments, DepEd Region IX highlighted an ongoing initiative in collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA): the unification and harmonization of the Learners Reference Number (LRN).

This initiative aims to create a seamless system for tracking learners’ educational journeys across institutions, improving continuity, efficiency, and data management. Once fully implemented, it is expected to strengthen evidence-based decision-making and enhance service delivery across the education sector.

23/04/2026

Even with the positive report on the decreased adolescent pregnancy rates for girls aged 15-19 from the 2025 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) notes that there is still a need to intensify reproductive health education (RHE) aligned with life skills and aspirations; expand access to adolescent-friendly health services especially in public health facilities; and, strengthen interventions addressing school dropout, early unions, and poverty traps – including social protection programs for adolescent mothers and their children.

23/04/2026

The Philippines at the 82nd UN ESCAP session in Bangkok!

Key PH push: a life course approach — from early health investments to social protection for Overseas Filipino Workers, gender-responsive policies, and the silver economy.

The Philippines reaffirms its commitment to a rights-based, inclusive, and life course approach to development, ensuring that every individual is empowered at every stage of life, and that truly, no one is left behind." ♥