Author Victor Layug

By Victor Layug

This is the first in a series of four articles covering topics presented at the Philippine National Convention on AIDS conducted on October 19, 2012 at the Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros, Manila.

The Philippine National Convention on AIDS was held last October 19, 2012 at the Muralla Room of the Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros. Organized by the AIDS Society of the Philippines, the convention’s theme was “Make It Matter, Right Now!”

The theme was also the convention’s call to action, as explained by Dr. Rosario Jessica Tactacan-Abrenica, the Convention Chair, in her welcome remarks. Dr. Tactacan-Abrenica also stated how this convention was long overdue, and that there was a definitive need to chart a roadmap for how to effectively address and deal with AIDS issues, especially today: there are 9 new HIV cases reported each day, and that the Philippines is one of the 7 countries with a rising number of HIV cases.

Also attending the convention was Dr. Eric Tayag of the Department of Health, who began not by stating facts or statistics, but by asking all those in attendance to stand, and learn as he taught them a dance number to the tune of One Direction’s “You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful.”

Dr. Tayag stated that there were a total of 10,514 cases of HIV from January 1984 to August 2012, with a rate of 1 Filipino infected with HIV for life every 3 hours, with 51% of those coming from NCR alone. The projected number of Filipino People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in 2012, however, was 23,922: a far greater number than the earlier stated 10,514. Dr. Tayag addressed this by saying that only 10,514 were confirmed cases, whereas the remaining 13,408 had either already died without knowing they were infected with HIV or had yet to be tested, which was even more dangerous.

Dr. Tayag also addressed the issue of Men having Sex with Men (MSM), stating that on average, MSMs have 3 sexual partners each month, which they usually come into contact with using cruising sites.

A cruising site is a website wherein users can register and meet other people in the hopes of finding a partner with whom to have casual sex. Most users access cruising sites on their smartphones, and then the sexual encounters happen at home where condoms are unavailable.

Dr. Tayag also stated how most MSMs who have contracted AIDS have worked or are currently working in the BPO industry, but there is no direct correlation to working in the BPO industry and contracting HIV or AIDS.

For further coverage of selected topics presented at the PNCA, view the succeeding articles here, here and here.