PALO, Leyte – Having the premarital sex is not the right way to show your love to a person, the regional of the Commission on Population (PopCom) here in Eastern Visayas said.

PopCom OIC regional director Merlyn Rodriguez was alarmed by the high incidence of premarital sex among youths in the region under the age bracket of 15 to 24.

Rodriguez said that the girls need to have “negotiating skills to say no” to their boyfriends.

PopCom has cited love as the main reason why four out of 10 youths in Eastern Visayas have had sex outside marriage.

“Love can wait. You don’t have to commit premarital sex to show love,” she emphasized

Rodriguez stressed the need to inculcate the right values on the young people in Eastern Visayas, for them to realize the consequences of their acts.

The new PopCom regional director aired her observation that adolescents are not seeking advice from their parents, teachers and guidance counselors who could give them the right advice to resolve problems on love and relationships.

“Their peers and classmates have become very important support system when these young people have problems,” Rodriguez told Leyte Samar Daily Express.

As top official of PopCom in Eastern Visayas, she vowed to intensify the adolescent program this year, by disseminating vital information on sexuality to the youths.