Cotabato City (March 20, 2023) — The Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) and several offices served as panelist during the OKY Period Tracker application launching on Thursday, March 16 at Pagana Kutawato, Cotabato City.
Developed by the Bangsamoro Government, UNICEF, and Plan International, OKY app aims to help young women and girls track their monthly period and access correct information on their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and menstrual health and hygiene (MHH).
“The Oky period tracker app is here to be the friend we once needed at some point. At ang okay ay nagsisilbing kaibigan para sa mga batang babaeng nalilito, nangangailangan ng kalinga, at nais malinawagan tungkol sa kanilang period,” said Plan International Country Director Ana Maria Locsin.
“Oky app is for everyone — a guide to get the right information regarding period, navigate the often challenging process of their menstrual experience.
This also marks the start of a wider initiative in the country to make information on menstruation, puberty, and reproductive health accessible to all Filipino girls and women,” she added.
BYC Youth Development Officer Settie Ivy Ampatuan said the OKY app is not merely a digital application, but an innovative solution towards mitigating the case of early and teenage pregnancies in the region.
“From the perspective of the Commission, this implies the reducing of the demographic trends of adolescents’ pregnancies among minors and their effects. Using this app will help young women’s physical and mental health,” she said.
The app includes Islamic content that was created after consultations with various offices in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to ensure its adherence to the Islamic teachings and regional context.
It is the world’s first period tracker app that uses a girl-led design and gamified learning methodology to teach users about menstruation, sexual and reproductive health, and their rights.
Oky Philippines will be available for download starting March 16 from the Google Play Store. The app will be rolled out in various towns across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to encourage more girls and young women to download it and get instant access to health and hygiene information. (BYC PR Unit/AAA)
