be established and strengthened at the local level to ensure a continuum of care for young people. The role of parents, teachers, and adults in guiding their adolescent children toward responsible sexuality will also be strengthened through institutionalized capacity-building. Partnerships with civil society organizations and youth organizations will be strengthened for a more coordinated implementation of adolescent health and development interventions. 4. Increase investments in health initiatives. This can significantly support human capital formation or development by ensuring that children are healthy when they go to school, that members of the labor force are productive, and members of the family can enjoy the fruits of their labor. The government will therefore: (a) guarantee services that will provide care at all life stages; (b) ensure the accessibility of these services in functional delivery networks; and (c) sustainably finance these services through universal health insurance. 5. Continue reforms in the basic and higher education curriculum to adapt to current realities. Improving the education of girls, especially at the secondary level, helps delay marriage and prevent teenage pregnancy. Women who marry later tend to have fewer children than those who marry at a young age. The K to 12 curriculum already integrates lessons on sexuality education to help students make informed choices and decisions on issues that affect their wellbeing. Meanwhile, the new general education curriculum in higher education aims to develop learners’ intellectual competencies, personal and civic competencies, and practical skills. 6. Create employment opportunities, especially for young adults. In support of the administration’s thrust to create one million new jobs annually, the government will pursue initiatives through major employment-promoting strategies: (a) employment generation; (b) employment preservation; (c) employment facilitation; and (d) employment enhancement. Programs supporting employment generation have been pursued to directly or indirectly create new employment opportunities in the domestic labor. Employment programs for the youth will also include support to young parents as part of social protection. Improving the living wage of young workers, especially those with young children to support, will be prioritized. 7. Encourage savings build-up at the micro-mesomacro levels. With fewer children, couples can save more from the expenses for the health, education, and total well-being of children. Early pregnancy has economic implications particularly on savings. Financial inclusion strategies such as the efficient delivery of microfinance and micro-insurance products and services will be implemented. Priority Legislative Agenda To implement the strategies for the challenges identified above, legislative support will be required. • Institutionalization of Local Population and Development Policy. There is a need to have a cohesive policy on addressing population and development at the local level • National Policy on the Prevention of Teenage Pregnancy. The alarming level of teenage pregnancy requires a comprehensive policy to address the problem at all levels of government • Strengthening of the National Population and Development Policy. A comprehensive policy for population and development will address the fragmentation of government efforts and initiatives for population and development. It will ensure that population and development is mainstreamed. 23 Annual Report Report Responsible 23 2019 2019 Annual Responsible Parenthood Parenthood and and Reproductive Reproductive Health Health Act Act of of 2012 2012