‘Sex issues’ top youth problem – survey

Sex issues are the number one concern of young Filipinos

The most urgent concerns of young people today are sex-related issues like pre-marital sex and teen pregnancies, according to a recent survey among Catholic youth ministers in the country.

The survey, commissioned by the National Secretariat for Youth Apostolate (NSYA), showed that young Filipinos are grappling the hardest with “sex issues,” followed by “growth in faith” and “nurturing relationships.”

“Family issues” and “drug abuse, vices” came in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Runualdo Villamata, diocesan youth leader of Lucena in Quezon, admitted that early physical intimacy jeopardizes young people’s future. “In our place, there are 16-year-olds who have two kids already,” he said.

According to Villamata, the Church and youth ministry are responding more actively to this reality of young Filipinos. He said that since January, the Diocese of Lucena, for example, has been holding basic orientation seminars, which have talks on God, the Church, the Christian family and youth ministry.

Villamata, who oversees the youth ministries in Lucena’s 36 parishes, said that such seminars also encourage young people to wait before plunging into exclusive relationships and to see the value of chastity.

The NSYA, the executive arm of the CBCP – Episcopal Commission on Youth, surveyed youth ministers from 86 dioceses in the country and 27 member organizations of the Federation of National Youth Organizations last April.

The survey was done primarily to consult youth ministers regarding the program and content of the National Conference for Youth Ministers in October.