Teen hub program empowering a healthier youth
The City Health Services Office reintroduced its Teen Hub Program that caters to adolescents aged 10-19 through counseling to help them with their struggles during their teenage years.
This initiative aims to empower teenagers by offering healthcare services, educational resources, and a safe space for personal development.
The Teen Hub is dedicated to providing guidance and counseling to help teenagers understand themselves more and cope with their struggles during their adolescent years.
All 16 district health centers now offer Teen Hub services and their free services help ensure all teens and adolescents access quality health assistance.
The Irisan District Health Center’s Teen Hub (Serving Adolescents and Youth with Care) is one of the most active in the city.
Epifania Dicang, midwife II at the center said their Teen Hub was established in 2018 and now has various programs catering to the youth of the city’s most populous barangay.
She said that as suicidal tendencies in Irisan barangay are high, the center has trained teens who now help their fellow teens overcome their hardships as well as uplift their morale.
Aside from counseling and health education for parents and teens, Teen Hubs provide a wide range of services promoting young adults’ overall well-being and health like dental and oral care, general consultations, nutritional guidance, sexual and reproductive health support, Pap smear and pelvic examination, STI and HIV screenings, laboratory tests, and visual activity assessments.
To further address the needs of adolescents and youth, the health centers organize school visits and provide proper counseling to the students.
These visits are often accompanied by staff from the Population Division headed by Rowena Rabanes who conduct assessments to help give each individual the appropriate counseling they need.
By providing comprehensive healthcare services, educational resources, and a supportive environment, the program empowers teens to make healthier choices and overcome obstacles they face.
Information on Teen Hubs can be found on Facebook pages of the district health centers and distributed
locally by the Barangay Health Workers (BHW) and Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS). – Jedidiah Ugto/PIO Baguio UB intern/apr
