DANCE FOR HOPE, DANCE TO THE LIGHT: HIV Prevention for the Youth

Santolan High School

The Philippines is in the midst of a concentrated epidemic. The rise in new HIV cases is alarming!  The total new cases from January 1, 2016 to October 31, 2016 alone was 7,756 or an average of 26 new cases per day1.  In June 2016, there were 841 new HIV antibody sero-positive individuals. This was 16% higher compared to the same period last year.  Most (96%) were male. The median age was 27 years old (age range:1 year-66 years). More than half belong to the 25-34 year age group while  226 (27%) were youth aged 15-24 years. Among the 15-24 age group, most (94%) were male. Ninety-nine percent (215) were infected through sexual contact (26 male-female sex, 118 male-male sex, 71 sex with both males & females) and 3 (1%) through needle sharing among IDU2. The report also noted that the age group with the biggest proportion of cases has become younger: from 2001 to 2005, it was 35-49 years; from 2006 to 2010, it was 25-34 years; and from 2011 to 2016, it was 20-29 years. Notably, the proportion of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the 15-24 year age group increased from 25% in 2006-2010 to 28% in 2011-2016.

Thus the HIV/AIDS problem continues to rampage in our country, infecting mostly young males. It causes devastation among those whose lives are infected and affected. Despite the availability of HIV testing for earlier diagnosis and very effective antiretroviral drugs to suppress the disease, this epidemic continues.
Systematic reviews on interventions to prevent HIV in other countries have shown that school-based approaches were efficacious3,4,5,6,7 and cost-effective8 and were seen to produce the largest impact in changing HIV-related behaviors.
Thus interventions targeted to address lack of access to relevant health information among young individuals during the period of highest risk may provide potential solutions to the problem here in the Philippines.  Targeting youth while in school is a strategy with high feasibility potential of providing a feasible mechanism for the wide systematic implementation in the future.
In response, The Medical City, through its I-REACT Clinic and Support Group, in collaboration with the Pasig City Government- in the true spirit of Private Public Partnership, has launched the project entitled DANCE FOR HOPE, DANCE TO THE LIGHT.  This is a evidence-based from various researches9-17,  multi-strategy campaign to prevent HIV/AIDS among our youth. This campaign includes a school-based information caravan to over 12,000 Grade 10 students of Pasig City and will culminate in an interschool dance competition using black light theater with HIV Prevention as theme.

The most-awaited DANCE FOR HOPE, DANCE TO THE LIGHT event was held last January 28, 2017 at the Augusto Barcelon Auditorium of The Medical CIty where student teams from several schools of Pasig City that showcased their creative interpretative dance presentations of the theme: Preventing HIV/AIDS: Saving Lives through a Caring Community.

Proudly, they claim that this PPP initiative is the first of its kind for HIV prevention in youth here in the Philippines and hopes to create impact among our youth. Their future is our future!

Salinlahi pushes CASER, challenges Duterte: Do this for Filipino children

'To achieve a just and lasting peace, the Duterte government needs to sign and implement the CASER (Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms). The agreement will help improve the lives of millions of impoverished Filipino children and their families,' this is the challenge of Kharlo Manano, secretary general of Salinlahi Alliance for Children's Concerns, an alliance of child rights groups in the Philippines.

Talking about the recently concluded third round of the peace negotiations between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Duterte government, the child rights group mentioned the importance of national industrialization and genuine land reform among other programs included in the proposal of the NDFP.

Manano explained that 'Nationalizing industries will provide jobs for Filipinos and will contribute to eventual eradication of exploitation of child labor, children in conflict with the law and even the perilous involvement of children in drug trades and use.'

Likewise, the group said that genuine land reform will help lower down hunger and malnutrition rates among children of farmers and farm workers. 'If peasant families would have land to till and sufficient support to agriculture from the government, cases of child trafficking and cyber pornography would lessen since majority of victims are rural poor without regular livelihood,' Manano continued.

Salinlahi encouraged Duterte to be true to his vow to achieve peace, 'President Duterte should seriously implement CASER once signed and the Flipino people should be vigilant to ensure social justice as a requisite in achieving genuine peace. The success of the peace talks and CASER would contribute to a better future for children,' concluded Manano.###

Lamudi Philippines Names First Ever Academic Scholars

In a bid to contribute to the community and drive socioeconomic development, Lamudi Philippines launched a scholarship competition aiming to reward exemplary students. For its first foray, a student from Cavite and Pampanga bagged the scholarship grant for school year 2016–2017.

Walter David Villegas, a third-year Development Studies major at the University of the Philippines Manila, and Jaynie Pajarillaga, a third year communication student from Holy Angel University Pampanga bested more than a hundred applicants from different schools and universities across the Philippines.

Both scholars will receive Php20,000 educational assistance that will be given directly to the school to cover some of their tuition fees. The two will also be awarded with a paid internship in  any department at the Lamudi Philippines office.

“We saw in both Walter and Jaynie what we see in the Philippines: exceptional, talented, and determined, and by thoroughly reviewing their application documents and credentials we are very sure that we made the right choice,” shared Bhavna Shuresh, Lamudi Philippines and MyProperty.ph’s new Managing Director and CEO, who took the rein of leading the top local property portal brands in early 2017.

“Working in a tech company like Lamudi will be a great opportunity for the two students. The non-stop innovation and learning in the Lamudi office will surely be a good training ground for these budding and promising talents,” Ms. Shuresh added.

Though lacking resources such as electronic gadgets that can make his education much easier, Walter Villegas finds ways and has worked very hard to achieve a 1.33 GWA in the last semester. Walter, who lives in Dasmarinas, Cavite, and studies in UP Manila, has to travel up to three hours every day to get to school and with minimal cash allowance, but that does not hamper his determination to work hard and achieve good grades. Raised by a single mother (his father passed away in 2009), Walter believes that the Lamudi grant will definitely help him finish his studies and later bring genuine development to the world.

For Jaynie Pajarillaga, being an achiever is her way of giving back to her hard-working parents, a teacher and a driver. She never lets obstacles become a hindrance on her way to success. For her, will and determination are important, problems may arise but she believes that you have to learn to swim on your own. “I never forget my goal to continue being excellent despite all the obstacles that block my way, and because of that, I am still consistent in maintaining high grades,” Jaynie shared.

According to Lamudi Philippines, about 50 colleges and universities participated in this year’s scholarship program and more than 100 students sent in their applications. The company looks to expanding the program to cover more schools and students. Lamudi also announced that call for applications for the 2017–2018 academic year scholarship program will start sometime in March 2017.