30/10/2026
𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝟕 𝐓𝐎 𝟒𝟐: 𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓-𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐑
A significant milestone in advancing the health and well-being of young people in Samar.
As the Provincial Local Government Unit of Samar, under the leadership of Governor Sharee Ann Tan, concludes the implementation of the Expanded Youth Leadership and Governance Program (EYLGP) of the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), we take pride in one of the notable gains achieved under the Joint Programme on Accelerating the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy (JPARAP): the establishment of 42 Adolescent-Friendly Health Facilities (AFHFs) across Samar in 2026.
From only seven established AFHFs before JPARAP in 2021, Samar has expanded its network to 42 facilities, an increase of 35 facilities or six times its original number. Of these, 35 have achieved Level 1 standards, while seven have reached Level 2.
Beyond the numbers, this achievement represents a stronger commitment to bringing adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health information and services closer to young people. It means creating more opportunities for adolescents to access accurate information, appropriate healthcare, counseling, and referrals in environments where their concerns are respected and their dignity is protected.
We extend our sincerest appreciation to the Provincial Health Office and the Provincial Population Office, together with the United Nations agencies, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO), and other development partners, who have been instrumental in implementing the service delivery component of JPARAP. Their technical assistance, institutional support, and continuing commitment to strengthening local health systems have contributed significantly to the expansion and improvement of adolescent-friendly health services in the province.
On the governance side, the PLGU of Samar, through the EYLGP under Governor Sharee Ann Tan's leadership and with the guidance and support of the Zuellig Family Foundation, played an important role in tracking implementation progress, monitoring governance commitments, identifying gaps, and ensuring that local leadership and institutional mechanisms remained responsive to the program's objectives. This allowed us to measure our progress, recognize areas for improvement, and mobilize the necessary institutional support to help achieve these results.
This experience demonstrates the importance of bringing governance and service delivery together. While our health partners worked to improve the availability and quality of services, the governance component helped ensure that progress was monitored, commitments were sustained, and institutions were mobilized toward achieving measurable outcomes.
We also recognize the contributions of our municipal and city local government units, healthcare workers, adolescent health advocates, and all stakeholders who shared in this collective undertaking.
As we conclude this phase of EYLGP implementation, we recognize that our responsibility does not end with establishing facilities. The greater challenge is to sustain these gains, continuously improve service standards, and ensure that every adolescent in Samar, regardless of their municipality or circumstances, has access to the health information and services they deserve.
𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟕 𝐭𝐨 𝟒𝟐. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬. 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬.
This is what collective leadership, strong partnerships, and responsive local governance can accomplish when we put the health, rights, and future of young people at the center of development.
For a healthier, safer, and more empowered generation of young Samarnon!
