{"id":10829,"date":"2025-08-14T16:57:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T08:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/?p=10829"},"modified":"2025-08-14T16:57:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T08:57:26","slug":"standing-up-for-teen-wellness-my-takeaways-from-the-uniting-voices-for-adolescent-health-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/?p=10829","title":{"rendered":"Standing Up for Teen Wellness: My Takeaways from the \u201cUniting Voices for Adolescent Health\u201d Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, I had the privilege of joining healthcare professionals, educators, and fellow parents at the \u201cUniting Voices for Adolescent Health\u201d<\/strong> forum, organized by the Society of Adolescent Medicine of the Philippines, Inc. (SAMPI).<\/p>\n

On paper, it was a gathering to talk about adolescent health. In reality, it felt more like a wake-up call \u2014 and a much-needed one.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Why This Conversation Matters<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As parents, we often think of \u201chealth\u201d as making sure our kids eat right, get enough sleep, and stay active. But adolescence is a whole new chapter \u2014 one filled with growth spurts, shifting emotions, evolving independence, and unfortunately, a higher risk of slipping through the cracks of the healthcare system.<\/p>\n

The speakers reminded us that teen health isn\u2019t just about yearly check-ups or physical fitness. It\u2019s about mental wellness, emotional support, and creating a safety net<\/strong> that follows them from home to school to the doctor\u2019s clinic.<\/p>\n

One line that stuck with me was from Dr. Michelle Anne Noblejas-Mangubat, SAMPI\u2019s President:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cTrue adolescent health goes beyond checklists \u2014 it\u2019s about helping them feel seen, supported, and safe across all areas of their life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Power of Collaboration<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We often talk about \u201cit takes a village to raise a child,\u201d but the forum gave that phrase more weight. Hearing from doctors, school health advocates, and even fellow parents emphasized that schools and homes must work hand-in-hand<\/strong>. Schools can be safe spaces for education and early intervention, while parents remain the anchor for guidance, emotional support, and timely healthcare.<\/p>\n

Dr. Ma. Emma Alesna-Llanto from the UP Philippine General Hospital said it best \u2014 when parents, teachers, and doctors work together, teens are more likely to get \u201cthe right guidance and care at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A Tool for Prevention: The Teen Vax Record Booklet<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One highlight of the event was the launch of the Teen Vax Record Booklet<\/strong> \u2014 a simple yet powerful tool to help families keep track of their teen\u2019s vaccinations, monitor schedules, and ensure timely protection against preventable diseases like HPV, meningococcal infections, and hepatitis B.<\/p>\n

I personally see this as a game changer. Sometimes, life gets busy, and vaccination schedules can slip through the cracks. This booklet makes it easier to be proactive, not reactive.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What I\u2019m Taking Home as a Parent<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  • \n

    Health isn\u2019t just physical<\/strong> \u2014 mental and emotional well-being are equally important.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Collaboration is key<\/strong> \u2014 we can\u2019t do this alone as parents. Schools, doctors, and communities play a big role.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Prevention matters<\/strong> \u2014 a small tool like the Teen Vax Record Booklet can help protect our children for years to come.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    SAMPI\u2019s closing words summed it all up perfectly:<\/p>\n

    \n

    Every teen deserves a safe and thriving path to adulthood.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Walking away from the event, I felt more equipped and inspired to advocate for my child\u2019s overall wellness \u2014 not just for today, but for the long run.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Curious about what’s the latest? Read my new story!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":10836,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[536,345,347],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-events","category-health-and-beauty","category-latest"],"pageone_source":{"pageone_source":"NGP-IMC","author_name":"Erika Jane Viray"},"_pageone_source":"NGP-IMC","zyndk8_nxtgen_metadata":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10829\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dexterous-mauve-lemur.109-123-235-239.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}