SORSOGON CITY, Philippines — Adolescents aged 10 to 19 from the province of Sorsogon are taking an active role in addressing adolescent sexual reproductive health (ASRH) challenges and gender-based violence (GBV) through a three-day creative workshop held in Sorsogon City, transforming their ideas into visual communication materials.

The initiative comes as concerns persist over limited access to accurate ASRH information, rising cases of teenage pregnancy, and the continued prevalence of gender-based violence affecting young people in communities.

Organized by the Federation of Associations for Communities and Children’s Empowerment Inc. (FACE Inc.), in partnership with Good Neighbors Philippines (GNIP), and with support from ChildFund Philippines and the Sorsogon Provincial Health Office Adolescent Health and Development Section, the activity was titled “An Pag-Kurit ulit kan Saradit: A Writeshop on IEC Materials through Visual Communication on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health.”

The workshop brought together 25 to 30 adolescent students from the municipalities of Sorsogon to design and co-create youth-centered information, education, and communication (IEC) materials using tools such as Canva.

Anchored on the Bicolano concept “An Pag-Kurit ulit kan Saradit,” which translates to “Writing or Drawing of the Young,” the initiative highlighted how simple expressions of adolescents can help address gaps in ASRH knowledge, challenge harmful social norms, and encourage open conversations on sensitive issues.

Too often, young people are the subjects of programs but not the authors of the message,” said Jobeth Jerao, executive director of FACE Inc. “Through this workshop, we saw them take ownership of their narratives. They created messages grounded in their realities and capable of influencing their peers.”

Participants engaged in hands-on sessions on message mapping, storyboarding, and visual communication, producing posters, flyers, social media content, and short videos that promote informed decision-making, respect, consent, and healthy relationships.

A student participant presents her visual campaign material during the writeshop on adolescent sexual reproductive health in Sorsogon City, Philippines.

Maria Fe “Peachy” Labayo, field manager of the Prieto Diaz Community Development Project of Good Neighbors Philippines, emphasized the importance of investing in adolescent-led initiatives to address persistent health and protection issues.

“Young people have the creativity, insight, and courage to challenge harmful norms,” Labayo said. “By bringing together participants from different municipalities, we are fostering shared learning and strengthening a network of young advocates who can champion these messages in their communities.”

Resource speaker and visual communication specialist Geri Matthew Carretero (Kurit-Lagting co-founder) underscored the value of creative approaches in tackling complex and often stigmatized issues.

“Visual communication makes difficult topics like STIs, teenage pregnancy, and GBV more accessible and relatable,” Carretero said. “When adolescents create the messages themselves, the result is not only more authentic — it is more powerful and more likely to spark real conversations and positive behavior change.”

Joyce Dechavez, PPO IV and PopDev and Adolescent Health and Development program coordinator, said youth participation is critical in strengthening health promotion efforts.

“Empowering adolescents to become advocates of their own health and rights is a key strategy in addressing teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence,” Dechavez said. “When young people are equipped with the right knowledge and platforms for expression, they become powerful partners in creating informed, safe, and resilient communities.”

For participants, the experience was both empowering and transformative.

“I used to find it difficult to talk about these issues, but through the workshop, I learned how to express them in a way that my fellow young people can understand,” said Angelica Noga, 17, of Gallanosa National High School.

“I learned that we can use creativity to speak up about serious issues affecting young people,” said Ingrid Fidelson, 16, of Prieto Diaz National High School.

Participants and organizers pose after a productive session of brainstorming and content creation.

Beyond the creative outputs, participants developed an adolescent-led communication plan to guide the dissemination of their materials in schools, barangays, and online platforms across Sorsogon, ensuring that messages on ASRH, teenage pregnancy prevention, and GBV awareness continue to reach their peers.

The activity resulted in at least three to five IEC prototypes and strengthened participants’ capacity in visual storytelling and advocacy, marking a step toward more inclusive, adolescent-driven approaches to addressing ASRH issues and GBV in the province.

As demonstrated through “An Pag-Kurit ulit kan Saradit,” empowering adolescents to create and communicate their own messages is essential in addressing health and protection challenges and in building informed, resilient and proactive communities.

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Note: Photo Credits: JV Garcia Jr., Allan Abrigo, and Gilbert Catabian

For inquiries, please contact:
Kurit-Lagting Art Collective Secretariat
09176216901 I kuritlagting@gmail.com