TELESRYE: Its Effects to People

One

of

the

forms

of

Philippine

Drama

is

known

to

be

teleserye. Teleserye (tele short for television and -serye for

Tagalog term for series) has become an inseparable part of the
Philippine entertainment as early as 1960s. People from all walks
of life are now being hooked to it rich, poor, kids, teens and
adults. It is now considered as one of the major sources of
entertainment for the whole family. Because of its increasing
popularity, it has now the ability to influence peoples beliefs
and judgments. In terms of this, it can now be in line along with
academic institutions, churches, and social networking sites such
as Facebook. By this time, teleserye has already made huge impact
on the lives of the general public.
EFFECTS TO THE RICH
As they say, stories would be boring and dry without the
presence of an antagonist or a villain. Villains make the whole
story more interesting. Making the life of a protagonist or the
main character miserable is the main purpose of the villain.
Those sophisticated and wealthy people are usually portraying the
antagonist in a teleserye. Although there are some teleseryes
whose villains are commoners, but most often, the character of
the antagonist is given life by the rich and powerful. Because of
this, a lot of people, especially those who belong to the middle
and lower class, are given the impression that wealthy members of
the society are wicked and mean. For them, that term wealthy and
powerful is synonymous to the term greedy and cruel. Although
it is not the intention of a teleserye to give a wrong notion
about the rich people, it is unconsciously implied.
EFFECTS TO THE POOR

The usual storyline of a teleserye often revolves around the

life

of

character

that

possesses

weak

personality.

The

protagonist comes, most often than not, from a poor family. There
are teleseryes that has a protagonist that belongs to a wealthy
family though, but the most common setting is where a poor main
character exists and which happens also to be almost the real
setting

in

our

society

poor

people

are

being

oppressed,

deceived, and maltreated. Due to this, people developed a concept

that the poor are always the aggrieved party in any society. If
being wealthy becomes synonymous to wicked, poor has also been
synonymous to the word oppressed.
EFFECTS TO THE KIDS
May Bukas Pa, Ang Munting Heredera, Mga Anghel na
Walang Langit These are teleseryes that has kids as a main
characters.

Its

ironic

how

these

types

of

teleserye

gain

positive responses from the viewing public, yet these are the
ones that are produced once in a blue moon. Teleseryes like these
are good for the kids for it shows less violence and contains
explicit scenes. It also aids in shaping the values and morale of
the youngsters for it often shows children with good conducts.
Although some depicts kids having bad attitudes but in the end,
those bad kids are turned into good ones, thus, influencing
children in a good way.
Since kids-oriented teleseryes are not frequently produced,
children tend to watch adult-themed teleseryes which requires an
immense

sense

of

understanding.

This

type

of

teleserye

is

unhealthy for the kids because it contains more violence and more
sensual scenes which are too deep for the fathom. Furthermore,
adult-themed teleseryes are not good for young audiences because
act what they see which is one factor why a lot of youngsters
commit crimes at an early age.
EFFECTS TO THE TEENS

Another form of teleserye is the teen-oriented ones which is

now gaining popularity. This type of teleserye portrays teens
with their most common characters easy-going and curious. Even
though, most of the teen-oriented teleseryes carry a positive
theme, young adults view it as contradictory to what is really
happening to the real world.
Teen-oriented

and

adult-themed

teleseryes

sometimes

contradict each other. The first one conforms to what should and
how should teens act while the latter exposes almost the real
milieu. In turn, since the young minds of teens has the natural
setting of whatever the adults do are good, young adults imitate
them. Because of this, there is am alarming increase of teenrelated issues such as pre-marital sex and pregnancy that leads
to

abortion,

juvenile

delinquencies,

drug

addictions,

and

prostitutions. Though some of these morbid scenarios are due to

some factors such as peer pressure and family problems, we could
not

deny

the

fact

that

shows

on

the

television,

such

as

teleseryes, are one of the contributing elements.

EFFECTS TO THE ADULTS

Since the beginning of teleserye, its most common storyline
is about adults in love or adults competing to achieve something.
This type is considered to be the most influential among the
other forms of teleserye for it discloses a realistic scenario of
what is really happening in the society. The main targets of this
teleserye are the adults since they are responsible for educating
and shaping the values of the younger members of the community.
Some teleseryes tackle societal issues such as politics,
crimes, and rebellions. These forms of teleseryes aim to make the
viewing public be aware, especially the parents, the flaws of the
society and the possible effects that are carried of it if not

given much attention. Also, these teleseryes affect the judgments

and views of adults for the modern teleseryes are produced not
just to entertain but to influence as well.
The adults views and judgments are not only the ones that
are being influenced by teleseryes. Reactions to certain issues,
how they interact to other people, and the relationship towards
their family such as imposing discipline to their children are
also affected.
In

general,

teleserye

is

not

just

source

of

entertainment. It is also a cradle of both positive and negative

ideasthat
mental
gender,

influence

activities,
cultural

a
and

persons

beliefs,

disposition,

affiliation,

views,

regardless

religion,

and

physical
of

social

his

and
age,

status.

Although some people think about teleserye as an exaggeration of

the real life and is very sensational, there are also those
people who view it as the reflection of the actual existence of
an individual. Moreover, teleserye does not only show things as
seen in the society. It also tries to unveil all the possible
scenarios that may happen in the near future. It is not only a
mirror but a window as well. It displays everything that people
failed to see and never saw it coming.
Today, though not so obvious, teleserye is not just a m,ere
product of someones imagination that is being brought to life
bay a band of actors and actresses, but it is a dictator in its
own form. Funny as it seems, but yes, it is very amazing to know
how this mere imagination can find its way to become real and
invade

ones

personal

disposition

leaving

person

very

vulnerable.
http://teleseryeeffects.blogspot.com/2012/06/telesrye-its-effects-to-people.html
Matt Tacao

Why did DOHs anti-teenage pregnancy video ad campaign

fail?

The Department of Health received intense criticism from Filipino netizens almost immediately
after it released a three-minute web video discussing the negative effects of premarital sex and
teenage pregnancy early Monday morning.
The ad campaign inexplicably uses the words gaga girl and bobo boy in its first eight
seconds (those Tagalog adjectives can both be translated as stupid or dumb). The opening
verse carries these lyrics:
Female voice: Pag kita-kits kita, sabi ng puso ko, boom-boom-boom-boom! Ahahahay!
Male voice: Pag kita-kits kita, nakakagigil ka! Parang di ko na kayang magpigil pa!
Older male voice: Naku naman hija, naku naman hijo. Maghunod-dili k dahil bata ka pa!
Magtapos ka muna, maghintay ka muna. Wag kang rumaragasa nang di ka naman madapa.

A video uploaded by the Department of Health discussing teenage pregnancies has received flak
from netizens. (Screenshot from YouTube)
A cheerdance squad practicing their routines can be seen throughout the video ad. The concept of
the video and the message it wants to impart doesnt appear to be aligned.
In the 1:45 part of the clip, this exchange can be heard:
Adult male voice: Dapat naman magtapos ka muna! Dapat naman maghintay ka muna! Wag
magkasala! Wag madapa!
Younger voices: Wag mag-alala. Di kami tanga!

This dialogue meanwhile can be heard toward the end:

Boy: Kung akoy mahal mo, surrender mo ang bandila. Ibigay mo na. Sagot kita, sagot kita
Girl: Kung akoy mahal mo, di mo ko pipilitin. Di pa ko ready. Maghintay ka, maghintay ka.
The video was uploaded by DOH on its Facebook page but it was promptly deleted after
receiving negative feedback from those whove watched it.
DOH is not the only government agency to use video ad campaigns to promote their programs.
Theres the Department of Tourisms Halika, Biyahe Tayo! music video (watch the 2012
version here) and the Bureau of Internal Revenues catchy Its Easy to RFP (Register, File, and
Pay) jingle.
There is no doubt that the issue being tackled in this web ad is very relevant to Filipinos. The
Filipino Scribe pointed out the problem of premarital pregnancies in two blog posts back in 2011
(read it here and here). As early as back then, we argued that the youth needs to be engaged in
more informative discussions about sex particularly from their parents and teachers.
Now, having said that, how did this particular DOH video ad campaign veer wildly off course?
Here are two factors I can see:
1) If you are producing a video that tackles sensitive issues like premarital sex and teenage
pregnancies, why will you use a cheering squad? The upbeat tone of the video is not appropriate
for this public service announcement.
2) Some lines in the jingle are simply laughable. Using words like tanga, gaga, and bobo
are not acceptable in almost every imaginable context unless perhaps when youre talking to a
really close friend.
Additional commentary:
As an advocate of reproductive health (RH) education, I commend the message of the jingle
urging the youth to control their emotions and set their life priorities.
However, this blunder is totally disappointing. Just imagine how much taxpayers money the
DOH has spent on this failed ad campaign! Adding insult to injury is the fact that all these could
have been prevented had the health department conducted simple focus group discussions to
predict possible audience reactions to the video.
The departments mishandling of this initiative might also be used by religious groups in raising
questions on how the government will enforce Republic Act 10354 or the Reproductive Health

and Responsible Parenthood Act of 2012 (its full implementation began yesterday, November
30).
(PS: Do you remember the Tourism Departments short-lived Pilipinas Kay Ganda campaign
back in 2010? Well, they spent as much as P3.7 million on that.)
http://www.filipinoscribe.com/2014/12/01/why-did-dohs-anti-teenage-pregnancyvideo-ad-campaign-fail

Katorse depicts moral values

Katorse portrays real-life situations that are applicable to people from different
walks of life. At 16, Angelica got pregnant. However, the story of Nene helped her
move on. Tinalikuran ako ng boyfriend ko at pinalayas ako ng tatay ko. Natutunan
ko sa Katorse na maging matatag. Denice, a nursing student, likes the variety of
situations the show offers.
Hindi lang limited ang Katorse sa issue ng teen pregnancy. It also suggests
solutions to friendship, love and family problems. Nurturing of values will never
stop in the shows upcoming episodes. Watch the exciting moments in Katorse,
right before TV Patrol World.
http://lopezlink.ph/32-lifestyle/kapamilya-entertainment/777-katorse-depicts-moralvalues.html

www.eastwestcenter.org/fileadmin/stored/pdfs/POPwp10819.p
df
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001200/120036E.pdf

PH highest in teenage pregnancy cases in Asia

September 26, 2013 by bicolmail in Top Stories with 0 Comments

By Rhaydz B. Barcia
LEGAZPI CITY The Philippines has the highest cases of teenage pregnancy in Asia wherein
20 percent of maternal death came from teenagers with 500,000 to 800,000 induced abortions
annually, Chi Laigo Vallido, advocacy specialist of Forum for Family Planning and Development
told Bicol Mail here.
[The] Philippines is ranked number one in Asia with high prevalence of teenage pregnancy. We
want to prevent this as much as possible because out of 21 percent reported maternal deaths
everyday 20 percent of these came from teenage pregnancy which is very disturbing, she said.
Following the increasing cases of teenage pregnancy across the country, at least 500,000 to
800,000 cases of induced abortion took place annually according to the study, Vallido said.
Before, the youngest teenage pregnancy reported is 15 years old but currently the youngest
pregnancy occurrence is 12 years old, she said.
An estimated 14 to 15 women die every day due to childbirth and pregnancy-related
complications in the country. Filipinos have fought for the passage of the RH Law for more
than 14 years. With this delay, what does this mean for Filipinos who have been waiting for the
RH Law? Vallido said.
The RH Law or RA 10354 was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III on December
17, 2012. However, the implementation of the enacted law was put on hold by the Supreme
Court after anti-RH groups questioned the constitutionality of the law that resulted in the
issuance of Status Quo Ante-Order to pave the way for the oral arguments between pro and antiRH groups.

In the Bicol region, the number of teenagers ages between 15-19 who have began child-bearing
and given birth to their first child doubled from 2006 to 2010 based on the 2010 Family Health
Survey of the National Statistics Office (NSO).
While the rate of teen pregnancy in Bicol is lower compared to other regions, the doubling of
incidence needs to be looked into and addressed, Vallido of Forum for Family Planning and
Development, an NGO based in Quezon City but working in several provinces in the country
including Albay, said.
Rather than ignore these statistics, we admire the local government of Albay for engaging
Reproductive Health issues head-on thats why we supported the First Adolescents Congress of
the province and we hope that other provinces will also be inspired, she said.
Various student leaders from 15 towns and three cities of Albay convened in the town of Sto.
Domingo for the First Adolescents Congress where they discussed the pressing issues being
faced by the youth today such as reproductive health, education, poverty, substance abuse,
disaster risk reduction, and other issues.
While Albay is lucky in the sense that their local leaders are determined to address adolescent
RH issues, other provinces remain indifferent. Thats why we need to implement the RH Law
now, Nilda Devera of Health Action Information Network (HAIN) also added.

http://www.bicolmail.com/2012/?p=11308

Teenage pregnancy among todays Filipino youth

By: Carin Van der Hor

The National Youth Commission, supported by the Department of Health and the World Health
Organization, convened the 2014 National Summit on Teen Pregnancy last April 24. This
summit, which saw the active participation of adolescent youth, delivered a clear message:
Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH), or the lack thereof, is fast becoming the
defining issue of this generation of young Filipinos. Without a robust response from all
stakeholders, the Philippines is on track toward a full-blown, national teenage pregnancy crisis.
Staggering facts support this call for concern. Recent (2014) data from the Philippine Statistical
Authority (PSA) reveal that every hour, 24 babies are delivered by teenage mothers. According

to the 2014 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality (YAFS) study, around 14 percent of Filipino girls
aged 15 to 19 are either pregnant for the first time or are already mothersmore than twice the
rate recorded in 2002. Among six major economies in the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, the Philippines has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies and is the only country
where the rate is increasing, per the United Nations Population Fund.
According to Josefina Natividad, YAFS coordinator and director of the University of the
Philippines Population Institute, young Filipinos have limited access to sex education and ASRH
services, especially if they are underage and unmarried. Seventy-eight percent are not using any
form of contraception or protection against sexually transmitted diseases and infections when
they are having sex for the first time. While government programs aim to delay the beginning of
childbearing and hasten fertility decline, teenage pregnancies continue to increase. Perhaps it is
really time for a new and more collaborative strategy?
ADVERTISEMENT

Data show that pregnant teenagers in the Philippines are mostly 17 to 19 years old. They live
with their mothers, parents, or relatives. The father of the child is, in most cases, a teenage boy.
Reasons for becoming pregnant among teenagers include: unplanned sexual encounters (getting
caught up in the moment) and peer pressure; lack of information on safe sex; breakdown of
family life and lack of good female role models in the family; and absence of accessible,
adolescent-friendly clinics.
Teenagers from poor backgrounds are disproportionately represented among pregnant teenagers.
However, experts have argued that teenage pregnancy should be understood as a symptom of
dire economic conditions rather than a cause of it. Teenage pregnancy perpetuates the cycle of
poverty and inequality because most pregnant teenagers have no source of income and face
greater financial difficulties later in life. This is because they drop out of school and are less
likely to pursue further education or skills training.
Teenage mothers face critical health risks, including: inadequate nutrition during pregnancy due
to poor eating habits; dangers associated with the reproductive organs not ready for birth; and
maternal death due to higher risk of eclampsia, among others.
Alarmingly, while maternal deaths are decreasing in the Philippines, teenage maternal deaths are
increasing. Ten percent of pregnant teenagers died in the last year, according to the PSA. Data
from the WHO also show a high and increasing incidence of fetal death in Filipino mothers
under 20.

At the end of the teenage pregnancy summit, the participants strongly endorsed a comprehensive
sexual education curriculum; forging a Batang Ina social movement; and establishing
adolescent-friendly spaces. The enactment of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive
Health Act was also recognized as an important step to make ASRH services more accessible to
those in need.
As an international child rights organization, Plan International believes that the rights and needs
of adolescent girls and boys, including their right to access ASRH services, must be ensured. In
our work in the Philippines, ASRH continues to be a priority in line with our global Because I
am a Girl campaign and national Batang Lusog program.
We are implementing ASRH interventions in Southern Leyte and Eastern Samar, where cases of
teenage pregnancy are increasing. Youth-Friendly Spaces are being established to provide peer
education and counseling on ASRH and rights. This is complemented by our response to
eliminate gender-based violence in communities by establishing Women-Friendly Spaces. These
measures help prevent teenage pregnancy by disseminating the right information about the risks
and impacts of teenage pregnancy on the teen mom and the infant. An exploratory study by Plan
International on the rising incidence of teenage pregnancy in Yolanda-affected areas is also
being designed.
In the face of numerous challenges that Filipino adolescents face every daydiscrimination,
gender-based violence, harmful gender stereotypesthey must be equipped with the life skills
and assets to help them make the best decisions for themselves and their community. When
adolescents choose to have sex, they have a right to access not just information but also inclusive
ASRH services.
At the end of the day, when an adolescent, especially a girl, knows her rights, is empowered to
choose, and is heard, she can improve not only her life but also the life of her immediate and
future families. So, maybe its time to have this discussion with your (grand) daughter or niece
now?
Carin Van der Hor is the director of Plan International Philippines and is the mother of two
teenage girls.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/74517/teenage-pregnancy-among-todays-filipino-youth
Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/74517/teenage-pregnancy-among-todaysfilipino-youth#ixzz3svvFrOf1
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Teenage Pregnancy as Moral Panic

Sayantani DasGupta MD MPH on June 13, 2013

Teen pregnancy, like obesity, is often framed as an epidemic. As such, both the epidemic of
teen pregnancy and the epidemic of obesity can be understood through the lens of what
sociologist Stanley Cohen popularized as a moral panic. In Cohens words, moral panics are
condensed political struggles to control the means of cultural reproduction; additionally
successful moral panics owe their appeal to their ability to find points of resonance with wider
anxieties.
The Real Cost of Teen Pregnancy a public health information campaign launched by the
Mayor and Human Resources Administration of New York City in March 2013 features
babies and toddlers, primarily children of color, chastising their teenage mothers. Launched at a
time when teen pregnancies have actually declined, primarily due to the availability of safe and
affordable reproductive health care, the accusatory shame and blame narrative of these images
is not only out of proportion to the problem it seeks to address, but is weighed down by its
obvious cultural narratives about teens of color, poverty, gender and sexuality.

Having a pensive toddler of color next to the slogan Honestly Mom chances are he wont stay
with you. What happens to me? and a weeping boy of color next to the words Im twice as
likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen, serves to re-stigmatize single
teen mothers, encouraging wider social senses of moral outrage, hostility and volatility toward
young, predominantly impoverished girls of color. Not unlike cultural narratives about welfare
queens, the campaign plays into racist and classist fears about sexually active girls of color and
teenage mothers who use social services. The message just under the surface here is about the
need for social control of unruly bodies.
These 4,000 posters, put up in buses and subways, cost a reported $10,000 per year for the city,
and have already drawn harsh critique from many. Haydee Morales, vice president for education
and training at Planned Parenthood of New York City, for instance, has reportedly suggested the

campaign has got it backward. In her words, Its not teen pregnancies that cause poverty, but
poverty that causes teen pregnancy.
According to Samantha Levine, a spokesperson for New Yorks Mayor Bloomberg, its well
past the time when anyone can afford to be value neutral when it comes to teen pregnancy.
Public health campaigns are never value neutral. They communicate social beliefs about
normalcy, productivity, desirability, and cultural worth.
An additional cost of the unexamined acceptance of this new teen pregnancy campaign is
accepting yet another narrative about individual choice over systemic change. Placing
responsibility on the shoulders of the individual, such campaigns silence more complex
conversations about accessible and affordable reproductive health care, anti-poverty campaigns,
and gender and social justice work. Instead of buying into the moral panic of teen pregnancy,
perhaps the mayors office might look into more long lasting and less stigmatizing possibilities
of structural change to improve the lives of young women in New York City.
Shame and blame has rarely gotten public health anywhere. In the words of researcher and
speaker Bren Brown, Shame diminishes our capacity for empathy. Shame corrodes the very
part of us that believes we are capable of change.
Sayantani DasGupta is a faculty member in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. She is
the editor of Stories of Illness and Healing: Women Write their Bodies, co-authored The Demon
Slayers and Other Stories: Bengali Folktales, and authored Her Own Medicine: A Womans
Journey from Student to Doctor.
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2013/06/13/teenage-pregnancy-as-moralpanic-the-real-cost-of-nycs-new-teen-pregnancy-campaign/