Yes ladies, Don’t get married yet. Enjoy the life of being single first. Don’t be in a rush to marry the man of your dreams. Or have the baby of your own. That will come in due time. Rather, relish the privilege of being a “Bachelorette”. The life of little responsibilities, bounteous travel & adventures, and more importantly…. total “Freedom”!

Cassandra (not her real name), who is in this picture, is a friend of mine based in Tokyo. She is also a Web Developer like me and enjoys the perks of flexible working hours and earning potential.
She left her parents after graduation and immediately got a promising job in Japan. Everything was doing well for Cassandra. Her career, her adventure for new food discovery and yes…. her love life.
That is the reason why I didn’t declare her real name because she has a over jealous boyfriend.

My friend is so madly in love that she probably could be tying the knot this year right….. Eeennkkk, WRONG!!!!
Marriage is not in her mind…. well, not yet.
Cassandra wants to travel, see different cultures, broaden her horizons and create memories of a lifetime. And so she did exactly that. She traveled to countries in South East Asia, and now in Europe.

The last time that we talked, she was in Prague checking on the hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things in the capital. She really had fun traveling and intends to travel for more.

Sadly, that is not the case in the Philippines. 1 in 10 young Filipino women (age 15-19) is already a mother or pregnant with her first child. The Philippines has the 3rd highest “Teen Pregnancy” rate and is the only country in the region where the rate is increasing.
Factors such as Lack of Information, Early Menstruation, and the Rise of the Uncontrollable Gadgets and Online Social Networks are the primary reason why the problem continues to persist.

Girls in our country are stuck in “Disney World”! Like they live in a Fairy Tale land, where their Prince Charming will come rescue them from their Evil Parents. They will know the Sad Ending after giving birth to their 4th child, waiting for their drunk prince charming to arrive.

Our Government should implement information campaigns and programs that can educate these young girls. While parents must bring their daughters to school consistently for them to be educated, get some skills, earn a stable income, where their daughters may more likely marry later and delay childbearing until they are ready.

Ladies, please be wise and think first before making an act. Life is precious and believe it or not… you can control it even if life is full of uncertainties.
Enjoy your youth. It’s an advice where most adult people gives to lessen their regret.

I’ll make this very simple…. What life do you want? The 17 year old Filipina with 4 children or my Web Developer friend from Japan?
It’s a no brainer…. I’ll take the life of Cassandra in a heartbeat!