Iloilo taps 300 school leaders to boost teen centers

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo provincial government is tapping schools to strengthen adolescent support as about 300 school heads, principals and administrators gathered for the 2026 Teen Center Summit on Aug. 14.

Participants came from public secondary and integrated schools across the province.

Organized by the Provincial Population Office, the summit focused on improving teen center operations and strengthening school-based support for adolescent well-being.

The summit carried the theme “Safe Spaces, Shifting Futures: Empowering Educators for Holistic Adolescent Care.”

It highlighted educators’ role in providing safe spaces and support as young people face challenges beyond the classroom.

Provincial Population Officer Ruel Von Superio said educators are among the first people young people approach as they navigate questions about identity, purpose and belonging.

“You are the frontliners of youth development. Every day, you see young people not merely as students, but as individuals searching for identity, purpose, and a sense of belongingness and direction,” Superio said.

He said schools can help young people discover their strengths, develop resilience and learn to lead beyond the classroom.

The summit featured discussions on provincial programs designed to create safer and more supportive spaces for adolescents.

Project KaTUWAng, a partnership with the University of San Agustin Psychology Department, focuses on peer support and positive youth development.

The AlaLAYI Program of the Central Philippine University College of Law promotes legal awareness among adolescents.

Sessions also covered mental health and safe spaces through the Program for Resilience of Iloilo in Mind and Emotion, or PRIME.

Project Tib-ong Kabataan focuses on adolescent health and well-being.

The province currently has 21 Teen Center 2.0 facilities, 11 of which are fully operational.

Five more facilities are scheduled for construction this year.

Each upgraded facility costs about PHP 3.5 million.

The centers are envisioned as hubs for psychosocial support, mental health services, career guidance and counseling, and the responsible management of social media exposure.

The province launched its school-based teen center project in 2011, initially providing equipment for rooms designated by participating schools.

The program was upgraded in 2023 through Teen Center 2.0, which introduced stand-alone buildings for adolescent health and youth development services.

The province had established 102 teen centers by 2025, including earlier school-based facilities and stand-alone buildings, according to Iloilo provincial government records.

Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said the province aims to eventually establish teen centers in all secondary schools.

Iloilo has 187 public secondary schools and 73 integrated schools.

Passi City has 12 secondary schools.

“Total youth development is important to us. We believe that these aspects do not happen inside the classroom so we will put them in our teen centers,” Defensor said.