DAVAO CITY (PIA)— As part of her advocacy on spreading awareness on HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach recently visited Davao City as the brand ambassadress of LoveYourselfPH.
A community-driven Non-Government Organization, LoveYourself PH provides free HIV testing, counseling, treatment and life coaching. The beauty queen, alongside fellow members of the NGO and partners from the city formally inaugurated Jefferyi, the new center of LoveYourselfPH in Davao City.
“The center is named after the Philippine Eagle and they have free HIV testing, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) treatment, condoms and lube, it’s all about taking care of ourselves so check this out,” reads Wurtzbach social media post announcing the opening of LoveYourselPH’s first center in Davao City and Mindanao.
She said with the opening of Jefferyi center in Davao, they will be focusing the advocacy in Mindanao.
“What we do is we go around, I talk to people of different ages wala kaming pinipili kung sino wiling na makikipagusap (we don’t select people who are willing to talk). And then we asked them questions, wala namang tama o maling sagot (there are no right or wrong answers),” Wurtzbach said during the group’s press conference held on July 12 at Park Inn by Radisson Davao.
Wurtzbach says she intends to make her talks engaging and entertaining so that her message would be effectively imparted.
Do not be complacent
The former beauty queen says she is intent on communicating the message of continuing the treatment for HIV patients amidst complacency in taking these treatments.
“Andali maging complacent lalo na pag wala ka nang nararamdaman, ok na ulit, tapos sasabihin mo ‘next time na lang ako babalik para magparefill ng gamot. This is so important that you don’t stop the treatment,” she said.
(It I easy to be complacent especially if you do not feel anything or you are now feeling fine, and you will say ‘I’ll just go back next time to refill my medicines)
“If the treatment works for you, why stop it? The fact that you are able to get treatment regularly, consistently to the range of undetectable and untransmittable status is a big feat already but you need to continue it, para lang kasi siyang natutulog (it’s like sleeping), it is still there but if you don’t continue taking care of yourself, gigising yan (it will awaken),” Wurtzbach said.
Wurtzbach asked the members of the local media to help share relevant information about treatment complacency.
“Hindi titigil ang treatment, kahit undetectable status na, tuloy-tuloy pa rin talaga,” she said.
(Treatment must not stop, even if it achieves undetectable status it must continue.)
The former beauty queen says that for 10 years now, she makes it a point to go around with LoveYourselfPH to talk to people to learn more about their information about HIV and their misconceptions.
“So anytime that I can I always join, it is a break from my glam world. I enjoy doing this,” Wurtzbach describes her work with the NGO. While in Davao City she went around Peoples Park to interview and talk to parkgoers.
In her interviews with people, she discovered that many still treat HIV/AIDS as a death sentence and are not aware of the new treatments available which are now accessible.
“There is still a lot of people who don’t know that there is treatment available and that it’s for free, and if you do the treatment the right way and regularly you can have undetectable and untransmittable status,” Wurtzbach said.
Dr. Ronivin Pagtakhan, founder of LoveYourselfPH says that despite a 600% increase of cases since 2008 in the country, there are now more effective interventions that have started and are working.
“We need to encourage people to love themselves more by accessing life-saving services like free HIV testing available in Jefferyi and social hygiene clinics,” Pagtakhan said.
He added that despite the Philippines recording 41 new HIV cases daily, these figures are still lacking, describing it as the tip of the iceberg.
“Previously the services were focused on the OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) and sex workers but they did not immediately notice the growing cases among MSM (Males having sex with males) and other key population, when the program started with global fund and other development partners in 2008 that is when the cases started to rise,” Pagtakhan said.
The Davao City Health Office through its Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC) welcomed Jefferyi to the city as they now have new partners, with the RHWC feeling the effects of rising HIV cases. In January of this year the city registered 38 new HIV cases.
“Dumadami ang mga patients na we are taking care of, kasi lifetime ang treatment natin, of course we welcome new players in the area, people will have options, they now have more choices,” Dr. Jordana Ramiterre, head of the RHWC said.
(Our patients are increasing because the treatment is lifetime)
According to Ramiterre, among the new interventions undertaken by the RHWC is promoting PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) treatment among the high-risk sectors. The PrEP program started in 2017 and which 1,000 Dabawenyos are now taking. (RGA/PIA)
