THE Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) of Barangay Pinagbuhatan made history as they spearheaded the first-ever youth-led city-wide immunization program against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Pasig City at Pinagbuhatan Elementary School. The initiative, titled “Kabataan Para Sa HPV-Free Pasig City,” marks a significant milestone in public health, by vaccinating around 300 girls aged 9 to 14 in the locality during the launch while up to 3,000 students will benefit from this program until the end of the year.

This groundbreaking event is the first youth-led School-Based Immunization (SBI) and community vaccination program in the National Capital Region (NCR), demonstrating the critical role of young leaders in advancing public health initiatives. The SK of Pinagbuhatan, in collaboration with the Pasig Local Government Unit (LGU), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Education (DepEd), has brought together a coalition of partners dedicated to safeguarding the health of the city’s youth.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto emphasized the importance of collaboration in the program’s success, saying, “Kasama natin ang DOH, private partners katulad ng MSD in the Philippines, at DepEd sa information dissemination. Maraming sakit ang pwedeng iwasan tulad ng cervical cancer, polio, at tigdas. Kaya napakaaktibo ng city health department sa awareness raising at pagpapabakuna. Mas malawak na ang coverage natin ngayon. Napaka-importante ng partnership ng iba’t ibang stakeholders. Mas maraming stakeholders na involved, mas buo ang programa natin. Alamin ang mga serbisyong available, alamin ang kahalagahan nito at pakinabang nito. Knowledge is power kaya magpabakuna po tayo.”

In addition to the vaccination of schoolgirls, the program has procured 9,780 doses of the HPV vaccine for LGU workers, further broadening the reach and impact of this initiative.

A total of 4 health centers across Pasig are participating in the simultaneous vaccination drive, which aims to immunize schoolchildren and provide reproductive health services to women throughout the city. This youth initiative aligns with the national healthcare program “Sa Aking Paglaki, Walang HPV,” led by the DOH and DepEd, and seeks to democratize access to life-saving HPV vaccines.

Keith Gumban, SK Councillor and Committee for Health Chairperson, highlighted the significance of the initiative, stating, “Ang programang ito ay isang mahalagang hakbang tungo sa mas ligtas at mas malusog na kinabukasan sa ating mga kabataan.”

Victor Javena, Chief Education Supervisor of the SGOD at the DepEd Division Office in Pasig City, reiterated the department’s commitment, saying, “Kami ay inyong maasahan sa pagpapatupad ng mga programang pangkalusugan sa paaralan upang gabayan ang mga magulang at ang kanilang mga anak para maiwasan ang cervical cancer.”

Dr. Jaya Ebuen, Development Management Officer at the DOH NCRO, emphasized the preventability of cervical cancer through vaccination, noting, “Cervical cancer is caused by HPV which is easily preventable by vaccine. Kaya lagi naming sinasabi na walang Pilipino ang dapat na magkasakit lalo na at kayang i-prevent ito ng bakuna.”

A global and national concern

Cervical cancer continues to be a major health challenge and, in the Philippines, the impact is especially alarming, with at least 12 women succumbing to cervical cancer every day. This makes it the second most common cancer among women aged 15 to 44.

Despite these statistics, experts emphasize that cervical cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer. The combination of HPV vaccination and regular cervical screening offers the best protection against this disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set ambitious global targets to eliminate cervical cancer. These goals include vaccinating 90 percent of girls with the HPV vaccine by age 15, screening 70 percent of women by the ages of 35 and 45, and ensuring that 90 percent of women diagnosed with pre-cancer or invasive cancer receive the necessary treatment.

This vaccination launch is a pre-emptive effort ahead of the official start of School-Based Immunization programs for the school year, which will resume in October.