To maximize the impact of its teen center facilities, the Iloilo Provincial Government, through the Provincial Population Office (PPO), convened roughly 300 school heads, principals, and administrators of public secondary and integrated schools across the province during the 2026 Teen Center Summit today at Grand Xing Imperial Hotel, Iloilo City.
The event empowered educators with strategies to enhance teen center operations and adolescent well-being. It is anchored on the theme, “Safe Spaces, Shifting Futures: Empowering Educators for Holistic Adolescent Care.”
Provincial Population Officer Atty. Ruel Von Superio highlighted the vital role that school administrators and teachers play in managing teen centers.
“You are the frontliners of youth development. Every day, you see young people not merely as students, but as individuals searching for identity, purpose, and a sense of belongingness and direction. As school administrators, you have the unique opportunity to turn schools into places where young people do more than learn lessons - you help them discover their strengths, find their voices, develop resilience, and learn to lead,” Atty. Superio said.
The summit featured sessions on provincial government partnership programs designed to strengthen support systems for youth.
One is Project KaTUWAng, in partnership with the University of San Agustin Psychology Department, which focuses on reinforcing peer support and positive youth development. The AlaLAYI Program, spearheaded by the Central Philippine University College of Law, was aimed at enhancing legal awareness among adolescents.
Additional lectures in the afternoon focused on provincial government initiatives fostering safe spaces and mental health support under the Program for Resilience of Iloilo in Mind and Emotion (PRIME); and promoting adolescent health and well-being under Project Tib-ong Kabataan.
As of 2026, the provincial government has constructed 21 "Teen Center 2.0" facilities across the province, with 11 currently fully operational.
The upgraded P3.5 million facility was designed to boost local youth. Atty. Superio said five more teen centers are slated for construction this year.
The provincial government also targets to establish Teen Center 2.0 in all secondary schools province-wide. Iloilo has 187 public secondary schools, 73 integrated schools, and 12 secondary schools in Passi City.
“The Governor’s marching order sa aton is clear: Dapat tanan nga buluthu-an sa probinsya sang Iloilo mapatindugan sang teen center project. We may not be able to do it all at once. Pero amat-amaton lang naton kamo, one school at a time,” the PPO chief said.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. stressed that the teen center will serve as the headquarters of all the programs of the province towards total youth development. These include psychosocial support, mental health, career guidance and counseling, and management of exposure to social media, among others.
“Total youth development is important to us. We believe that these aspects do not happen inside the classroom so we will put them in our teen centers,” Defensor said.
In attendance during the summit are Vice Governor Lee Ann Debuque, representatives from the Department of Education, University of San Agustin, Central Philippine University, and Commission on Population and Development VI, among others.