SISON, SURIGAO DEL NORTE (July 13, 2025) — Roots of Health, an award-winning nonprofit in Palawan, has launched its first wave of expansion in Mindanao, working with local leaders in Surigao del Norte to strengthen youth-focused sexual and reproductive health programs. 

From July 8 to 12, the Roots of Health team led training sessions and built partnerships in Sison, a 4th-class municipality facing a troubling rise in teen pregnancies. The Sison local government invited the NGO to help improve adolescent health services and boost prevention efforts.

“Teen pregnancy is a growing challenge we’re not sweeping under the rug. We’ve chosen to face it head-on,” said Sanggunian Bayan member and Committee on Health Chairperson Karissa Fetalvero-Paronia. “By partnering with Roots of Health, we’re building on the work we’ve already started – this time, with added support to make our health services more adolescent-friendly and non-judgmental.”

Recent local data reveals a concerning trend: in 2021, twelve adolescent pregnancies were recorded, making up 9% of total pregnancies. That number more than tripled in 2022 to 40 cases (24%). In 2023, after the local government launched the Teenage Pregnancy Reduction Drive, cases dropped by over half to 18 (11.35%). However, a resurgence in 2024 saw the number climb back to 37 (19%).

“These numbers reflect a real crisis for girls and young people and the urgency of sustained efforts,” said Amina Evangelista Swanepoel, Executive Director of Roots of Health. “In Palawan, we’ve seen that consistently empowering communities with youth-friendly care and comprehensive sexuality education over more than a decade can significantly reduce teen pregnancy. We’re committed to working with local partners in Surigao del Norte who want to do the same.”

Roots of Health’s initiative builds on the efforts of Fetalvero-Paronia, a former three-term mayor, who spearheaded Sison’s teen pregnancy prevention program, including the just-launched Teen Center, the first of its kind in the CARAGA region. Located within the municipal building, the center aims to provide young people with a safe space for health information, counseling, and referrals.

The Roots of Health-Sison partnership was formed through a mentorship connection between Swanepoel and Fetalvero-Paronia under the Angat Bayi Fellowship Program where the latter authored a policy paper on the rising rates of teen pregnancy in her municipality. With the support of the current mayor, Leicester Fetalvero, the partnership led to the coordinated rollout of trainings and consultations this July.

With Sison’s Municipal Health Office and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, Roots of Health led trainings aimed at strengthening the local health and youth leadership infrastructure. 

Two Training of Trainers on Youth-Friendly Service Delivery were held simultaneously for 36 barangay health workers and 18 staff from the Sison Primary Care Facility, including Rural Health Unit personnel, municipal nurses, Human Resource for Health staff, and social workers. These aimed at strengthening the delivery of non-judgmental, adolescent-accessible care.

Sangguniang Kabataan officials, high school leaders, and youth organization representatives participated in an Advocacy Orientation on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health, which equipped them to lead peer-based education and advocacy initiatives.

The Roots of Health team also met with Governor Robert Lyndon Barbers and staff from the Provincial Health Office to explore the potential for scaling inclusive, rights-based reproductive health services and education across Surigao del Norte.

Roots of Health is nationally recognized for its work in Palawan, where it has helped reduce teen pregnancy in Puerto Princesa by over 60% since 2017. 

The non-profit has been consistently recognized for its innovative, youth-centered approach to sexual and reproductive health. In 2023, Roots of Health was awarded the Department of Health’s Healthy Pilipinas Gold Award for its I CHOOSE campaign, which empowers young people through malayaako.ph—a localized, youth-friendly platform for sex education and health resources. The organization also received a Silver Award for advancing Healthy Governance, Healthy Settings, and Health Literacy.

It previously received the Puerto Princesa City Mayor’s Award for Humanitarian Response in 2021 and the Mayor’s Award for Service in Health in 2019, in recognition of its long-standing commitment to public health in Palawan.

“We know how to solve this problem,” said Swanepoel. “We’re here to support and scale what works. It’s powerful to see local leaders, teachers, health workers, and young people all moving in the same direction.”