Pototan is the second stop in Team Dugong Bughaw’s Project Abot Kamay, which targets municipalities in Iloilo province with high HIV incidence.
ILOILO CITY, Philippines–Team Dugong Bughaw’s (TDB) journey in raising awareness and stopping the stigma on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues as they imprint on youth in Pototan, a major town in Iloilo province’s center.
TDB touched down at Jose Facultad Memorial National High School (JFMNHS), a public high school just six kilometers east of the town’s center.
Here, the team brought their signature Project High Five (PHF) program to students of different levels and faculty at the school.
The PHF, which was TDB’s first project in its infancy, aims to bridge gaps in HIV care, foster inclusivity, and build a resilient and equitable response in Iloilo province through a combined strategy of education, mental health support, and community engagement.
Through interactive discussions, students were both engaged and refreshed in topics including basic information on HIV, prevention and treatment, stigma and discrimination, and mental health, among others.
While the main target of the program were the adolescent students, teachers also participated in the program.
Juvy Rossini Jordan, a teacher and Volunteer Teen Center coordinator at JFMNHS, said that her view of HIV had improved after attending the program, and added that she felt her students learn more as well.
“[My knowledge of HIV improved] by understanding what HIV is and the ways to prevent it. Learning about the importance of regular testing promotes accurate information that helps dispel myths and combat stigma through education and open discussion,” Jordan said.
“There has been positive change in the way students view HIV. Many misconceptions and stigmas surrounding HIV often stem from a lack of proper information and discussions helps create a gap. After [PAK], Students are more likely to approach the topic with understanding and empathy rather than fear and judgement,” she added.
She stated that projects like PAK help the teachers in shaping the students’ knowledge beyond the four walls of the classroom, and
“It helps foster deeper understanding of critical, social and health issues among students. Discussions about HIV awareness encourage students to think critically and take responsibility for their well being. It helps me to shape well rounded individuals who are not only academically competent but also socially aware and proactive members of society making education more impactful and relevant to their lives,” she said.
Pototan is the second stop of the five-town PAK, which aims to address HIV through a combination prevention approach that integrates biomedical, behavioral, and structural interventions.
PAK, aligned with the guidelines of the The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), is an extension of TDB’s reach to parts of Iloilo province with high HIV incidences.
This article is written with the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the purpose of this website.
