00:00We are now going to Masantol, Pampanga but instead of using the highway, we will use a boat from Hagonuy, Bulacan.
00:16We will go to Masantol, which is an island.
00:30The first thing you will see when you arrive at Pangkawayan is a church and a school.
01:00At first glance, Pangkawayan seems like an ordinary island in the province.
01:16There is a school, there is a church, the adults are all over the place to fish, while the children are innocently playing in the plaza.
01:32But this island has another face.
01:43If we connect these two points, we create a radius.
01:48We will replace it with a variable H and K.
01:52Janine, 16 years old, is one of the best students in her class.
01:58How is your studies at school?
02:00It's okay, I'm in the top.
02:02Where are you?
02:03Top.
02:04Top 4?
02:05Top 5.
02:06You're top 5? In the whole class?
02:09Yes.
02:11But no matter how good she is, Janine has a bigger challenge ahead of her.
02:23Janine has not been menstruating for three months.
02:27In three minutes, her world may change.
02:41Not only Janine, but many girls like her have gone through this kind of trial in Sapangkawayan.
02:50Do you regret that you got pregnant early?
02:53No, I don't regret it.
02:57This is a sandwich.
03:14At this age, children like her are still playing.
03:19At this age, they are still busy with other people's studies.
03:23At the age of 14, Reynet is already a mother.
03:29Their neighbor, Momon, is pregnant with Reynet.
03:33Even though they are not of the same age, they are together like husband and wife.
03:39Do you really want to get married at that age?
03:42Yes.
03:43Ah, you want to? Why?
03:46Nothing.
03:48I'm just thinking.
03:50I'm just thinking.
03:52A lot of people get married at that age.
03:56At the age of 18, they are old enough to get married.
04:08At the corner where Reynet lives, I met her friend, Maan.
04:14Maan, what's her name?
04:21Oh, I'm going to cry.
04:25Hey, who's this?
04:27She's my niece.
04:28Huh?
04:29She's my niece.
04:31What?
04:32She's my niece.
04:33Ah, you have another daughter?
04:36Yes.
04:37How old is your daughter?
04:3917.
04:4017? You have two daughters?
04:42Yes, we have two daughters.
04:43How long have you been married?
04:45I've been married for one year.
04:50Maan has not seen her eldest and second child for a year.
04:55Even though she wants to go back to school, Maan feels that this is just a distant dream.
05:04Just like a lot of other children in Sapangkawayan, they also have a sibling who is pregnant with their child.
05:12How do you know each other?
05:15We just met on the street.
05:17What do the kids here do for fun?
05:20We go out early in the morning.
05:23What time do you go out at night?
05:25Seven.
05:26What time do you go out on the street?
05:29Until morning.
05:31Oh.
05:41If before, the princesses of the street are friends of Reyneth and Maan,
05:46now, their house is different when they go out of the house.
06:02They are now at the health center to get their baby checked up.
06:21Reyneth and Maan are the two closest friends of Janine.
06:28Is Janine also like them in their fate?
06:35Janine has not undergone menstruation for three months.
06:40Within three minutes, her world may change.
06:58Janine is two months pregnant.
07:03When you found out that you are pregnant, how did you feel?
07:10I felt good.
07:20I was surprised by Janine's reaction.
07:23At the age of 16, she was not only surprised or afraid of the responsibility of being a mother.
07:38Her classmate, Roman, is pregnant with her.
07:41Although the two are still minors, their family decided to have Roman and Janine have an abortion.
07:48Roman and Janine agreed to have an abortion.
07:51They said it is to protect the baby from being taken by a prostitute.
07:56I was nervous because I am still a child.
08:00I am still studying.
08:01We told our parents,
08:04I am with you, I am with you.
08:07The situation in Sapangkawayan is not new.
08:10In an island with a population of 3,000 people,
08:13there are a lot of early marriages.
08:17It goes up to 18.
08:19Some go down to 15.
08:21I told you in 2010, last year,
08:25I had an abortion.
08:27The woman was 15 below.
08:29What do you mean by 15 below?
08:32The woman was 15 below.
08:35What do you mean by 15 below?
08:37Below 15.
08:39Before she reached 15, she already had an abortion.
08:41She had a mass wedding.
08:43Here in the neighborhood?
08:44Yes, here in the neighborhood.
08:45How many were married?
08:46More than 20.
08:47More than 20.
08:48How many children were there?
08:49Almost all of them were children.
08:51Almost all of them?
08:52It only reached that age.
08:53It only reached the age of 18.
08:55She was already married.
08:57It is estimated that there are 150 Dalagites
09:00aged 12 to 17 in Sapangkawayan.
09:03Of these 150 Dalagites,
09:0638 are pregnant or have children,
09:10or one in every four Dalagites.
09:13Except for the island here,
09:15the children are not allowed to go out
09:19because there is no class.
09:22The children will get sick.
09:26It is not only for those who are courting,
09:31but also for those who are still young.
09:33It is up to them to decide
09:36if the children are their age.
09:39Hi Nathan!
09:41Ms. Lita's five-month-old son, Nathan,
09:43lives in the house.
09:45I thought it was the grandson of the old man
09:48that I was holding.
09:49But it was him.
09:50This is my grandson.
09:52This is your grandson?
09:54Your grandson's son?
09:55Yes.
09:56He is your grandson?
09:57Yes.
09:58The child next to Ms. Lita
10:00is the mother of this child.
10:03How old are you?
10:05Fifteen.
10:06Fifteen?
10:07Yes.
10:08And this is your first child?
10:11Yes.
10:12So you were only 14 years old when you got pregnant?
10:15Yes.
10:17I have a 13-year-old husband here.
10:27Ms. Lita is the patron saint of Sapangkawayan.
10:30She is the one who gave birth to many mothers here.
10:34When the age of 18 was reached,
10:37the women here got old.
10:39They say they lost their way.
10:42They lost their way?
10:44Yes.
10:45Ms. Lita also added,
10:46if you reach the age of 40,
10:48you should already be a grandmother.
10:54Even though Sapangkawayan is known for giving birth early,
10:58Ms. Lita still can't stop herself
11:00from hugging her newborn child.
11:03Even though the body is small,
11:05it is harder to give birth and give birth to a child.
11:09This is called a high-risk pregnancy.
11:12When my grandson was in labor,
11:15I told him,
11:16as a mother,
11:18especially when I see him in labor,
11:21I also cry.
11:22I have nothing to do.
11:26This is just a few of the pictures of the princess
11:29a year before she gave birth.
11:31Who would have thought that this innocent face
11:35is possible to become a mother?
11:38So you won't be able to study?
11:41No.
11:44Is that okay with you?
11:47I want to work.
11:49I won't leave you.
11:55When I went out on the street,
11:57I found out that this has been going on for a long time
12:00on Sapangkawayan Island.
12:02How old are you?
12:0351.
12:0451.
12:05Do you have a child?
12:06Yes, four.
12:07Do you have grandchildren?
12:0813.
12:0913 grandchildren?
12:10Yes.
12:1151?
12:12How old were you when you got married?
12:14I was 14.
12:15Do you have a child, father?
12:17Five.
12:18You have five children.
12:19How old were you when you got married?
12:21I got married when I was 13.
12:2413.
12:25The second one?
12:2616.
12:2716.
12:28The third one?
12:3017.
12:3117.
12:32The fourth one?
12:3516.
12:36We have no other choice.
12:38We have no other choice.
12:40We are just married.
12:42We are just married.
12:46People come and go.
12:48They don't have a place to stay.
12:50They don't have a house.
12:52They just stay here.
12:54They don't do anything here.
12:56They just go out at night.
12:58That's why you got married early?
13:00Yes.
13:01Whatever their parents decide,
13:03that's what happens.
13:05That's what happens.
13:11And when it gets dark,
13:13that's when the kids come out.
13:20I'm just going to tell a story.
13:22Hey, come here.
13:24It's already 8 o'clock.
13:25Why are you still here on the street?
13:28We're just hanging out.
13:29Just hanging out?
13:30At night, this is what happens
13:32at Plaza ng Sapangkawayan.
13:34Groups of friends
13:36get to know each other.
13:38This is what Maan,
13:40Reynet, and Janine
13:42tell me.
13:44They dream every night
13:46about when they go home.
13:48Sometimes, there's nothing to do at home.
13:50It's boring.
13:52Boring?
13:54It's crowded.
13:56Sometimes, there's a party.
13:58What?
14:00Party.
14:01That night,
14:02I didn't see Janine
14:04or her friends at Plaza.
14:06Maybe they're already at home
14:08taking care of the kids.
14:10But Plaza ng Sapangkawayan
14:12has a different story.
14:16Do you have a boyfriend?
14:18No.
14:19Do you have a boyfriend?
14:21No.
14:22You already have a boyfriend.
14:24How old are you?
14:2514.
14:2614?
14:2714.
14:28And you?
14:2915.
14:3316.
14:36This morning,
14:38I went straight to
14:39the Church of Sapangkawayan
14:41but it doesn't matter
14:43on this island
14:44except
14:45if there's a wedding.
14:48Wow, there's a lot of meetings.
14:51March 23, March 26,
14:53March 31.
14:57There are marriages,
14:59weddings, and funerals
15:00of many people in Sapangkawayan.
15:04Like Ms. Sonia's family,
15:06not a single one of her daughters
15:09is able to make a living.
15:10They are pregnant before the age of 18.
15:24Sheena is Ms. Sonia's eldest daughter.
15:30What is your dream in life?
15:32Teacher.
15:33You want to be a teacher?
15:35And then?
15:37You studied?
15:39How far did you go?
15:41First year.
15:43First year?
15:45And then what happened?
15:53Don't cry.
15:56Because...
16:00I don't know.
16:06Of course, there are dreams that won't come true.
16:21Sheena was one of the best students
16:23when she finished grade 6.
16:25That's why she tried to go to high school
16:27in a nearby town.
16:29But not long after,
16:31her parents ran out of money
16:33and she was forced to go back to the island.
16:37When you came back to the town,
16:39why didn't you go to high school here?
16:41There's no high school here.
16:43There's no high school here.
16:45So when you came back here...
16:46I also came back here.
16:48I just studied.
16:51There's nothing here.
16:53It's like I lost my hope.
16:56Because there's no high school?
16:58There's no high school.
17:00I can't go to school.
17:02I'll just get married.
17:08Until grade 6,
17:10the school was in Sapangkawayan.
17:12That's why most of the girls
17:14after grade 6
17:16went straight to marriage.
17:18Even though they also have dreams.
17:28Sheena now has two children.
17:30She wants to change the fate
17:32of her children and siblings.
17:34What I want now is
17:36that my children
17:38will have a good life.
17:42So that I can educate them
17:44so that they can finish their studies.
17:47But a few years later,
17:49her sister, Bianca, also got pregnant.
17:52Bianca was only 14
17:54when she went to the orphanage.
17:59Many parents blame
18:01the lack of a high school in Sapangkawayan
18:03if many girls
18:05go to school early.
18:09If in 2008,
18:11the government built
18:13a high school on this island
18:15and because of this,
18:17the number of girls
18:19who go to school
18:21gradually decreased.
18:24Sheena is the youngest girl
18:26of Sheena.
18:27She is the only family
18:29that can finish
18:31without getting pregnant.
18:34Even for her,
18:36her sister Sheena's dream will come true.
18:40What is your dream in life?
18:42A job.
18:44What kind of job?
18:46A chef.
18:52Sheena is now in her third year of high school.
18:55Many are courting her
18:57but she is still determined
18:59to pursue her dreams.
19:21In Sheena's class,
19:23I met Janine again.
19:25Both of them are in the same class.
19:29I thought to myself,
19:31Janine is now three months pregnant.
19:33Will she be able to fulfill
19:35her dreams like her mother?
19:37Because of what happened to Reynette,
19:39Maan, and Princess,
19:41who completely forgot their dreams
19:43in exchange for becoming a mother,
19:46I thought that Janine's dreams
19:48would also come to an end
19:50if she got pregnant early.
19:54But a few days later,
19:56we brought her back to school
19:58in Sapangkawayan.
20:00I was very happy
20:02to see Janine in the classroom.
20:05She is determined to continue
20:07her studies despite the obstacles
20:09she faced.
20:11I will fulfill my promise
20:13that I will finish my studies
20:15even if I grow up.
20:17I have only been pregnant for a few days.
20:21I have only been pregnant for a few days.
20:24I will finish my studies in my third year.
20:27You will finish your studies?
20:29Yes, I will finish my studies.
20:31What about your fourth year?
20:33I will finish my studies
20:35in my fourth year.
20:39Maan is determined
20:41to defend Janine,
20:43but not through her studies,
20:45but through her work
20:47to help her finish her studies.
20:50I will wait for her to finish her studies.
20:52Once she finishes her studies,
20:54I will continue my work
20:56to help her.
21:00Janine is the new face
21:02of the students of Sapangkawayan.
21:04She is ready to turn back
21:06the past
21:08and face the challenges of the future.
21:13Since she attended high school
21:15in Sapangkawayan,
21:17many parents were rejuvenated.
21:21They learned to dream
21:23and finally,
21:25their hopes
21:27for a small island
21:29were fulfilled.
21:31I am Cara David
21:33and this is Eyewitness.
21:51The students of Sapangkawayan
21:53are ready
21:55to face the challenges
21:57of the future.
21:59They are ready
22:01to face the challenges
22:03of the future.
22:05They are ready
22:07to face the challenges
22:09of the future.
22:11They are ready
22:13to face the challenges
22:15of the future.
22:17They are ready
22:19to face the challenges
22:21of the future.
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