HIV Awareness for and by the Youth:

A Project Proposal

Submitted by:
BULACLAC, Erica Mary Gillian L.
ORIO, Cathleen Kaye L.
VALENCIA, Mikayla Yssabel P.
11-Pamplona

Submitted to:
Department of Health
Iloilo City

January 23, 2018

I. OVERVIEW

The Philippines is considered to be the country with the fastest rate of growing HIV-
positive cases in the Asia Pacific region, as stated in the report of Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS. To date, the Department of Health has tallied 44,010
cases since 1984. In fact, The monthly number of HIV-positive cases has hit a record high to
1,098 new cases in May 2017, with the National Capital Region having the most number of
cases at 404.

In response to this issue, several programmes have been initiated since then by
Department of Health, Local Government Units, and other Non-Government Organizations
concerned in raising HIV awareness. DOH has conducted the HIV/STI Prevention Program with
the primary goal of reducing the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. As defined in
their program, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a viral infection that attacks and slowly
destroys the immune system of the infected person, thus leading to AIDS (Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome). Aside from clarifying granting public access to this information, inclusive
in the program are the availability of free testing services, HIV counseling, and more.

Aside from the HIV/STI Prevention Program, there are others that aim mitigate
concerning impact of HIV/AIDS at all levels possible. However, the viral epidemic still continues
to grow in the country, with over 30 new HIV cases being recorded by DOH daily. In their latest
report for May 2017, the number of HIV/AIDS cases rose by 15 percent to 4,388 from January
to May compared to the same period a year ago. The issue is made more complex due to
several factors, such as poverty, lack of access to clinical centers, patients who don’t return to
receive their results from HIV testing sites, misconceptions on the issue, and the like, all of
which compromise the patient’s access to public health and information.

II. RATIONALE
 The issue and facts associated with the context presented are clear evidences of the
Philippines’ suffering to mitigate the epidemic despite the collective effort of several
organizations. The overall impact of the public health issue does not only compromise certain
affected sectors but all communities already. Its wide-ranging impacts, from the health sector, to
certain households, the academe, and up to to the country’s overall sustainability may have its
devastating consequences as time will progress. Initiating talks to spread awareness may not
be sufficient if certain factors such as discrimination proliferated by misinformation and
misconceptions prevent the affected population to cooperate. In today’s society that gains from
technology-governed information and internet accessibility, it may be taken into advantage to
widen the scope of their access to public health, specifically on HIV/AIDS, a controversial issue
reluctantly admitted by the affected.

III. APPROACH

The HIV Awareness for and by the Youth is a project that specifically aims to be mostly
led and organized by high school and college students. As the saying goes, the youth is the
future, hence a project such as this was created to ensure that the future will be greeted by men
and women who are aware and responsible for their actions, especially when it comes to
dealing with problems such as the spread of and the misconceptions involved in HIV cases.

IV. PERSONNEL INVOLVED

PROPONENTS ROLES SUMMARY OF

QUALIFICATIONS

Richard Chin, Jr. Guest Speaker ● HIV and sexually

transmitted infection
surveillance assistant of
the DOH Regional
Epidemiology
Surveillance Unit

Jenny Lyn A. Ruaya Guest Speaker ● WVMC HIV and Aids

Core Team Member

Ma. Odeta Villaruel Guest Speaker ● Coordinator of the city

government’s STI
(sexually transmitted
infections), HIV and AIDS
Program
V. ACTIVITY PLAN

March 2018 - March 2019

PHASE 1: Planning and Creating Set-up

March
- Approval and Integration period with the Department of Health
April
- Creation of the HIV Awareness for and by the Youth Program official website.
- Creation of Social Media pages and connecting them to the website

PHASE 2: Actual Program

May
- Dissemination of information of new website through DOH announcements and Social
Media posts
- Daily informational posts in each Social Media platform about HIV for a week, followed by
Weekly posts afterwards
June
- Official Launch of the Program (talk at Ateneo de Iloilo-Santa Maria Catholic School with
guest speakers, Ma. Odeta Villaruel, Jenny Lyn Ruaya, and Richard Chin, Jr.)
- Recruitment of youth volunteers for succeeding talks and campaigns
- Continuation of weekly informational posts in the Social Media platforms
July
- Talk about awareness at several barangays and public schools
- Continuation of recruitment of youth volunteers
- Continuation of weekly informational posts in the Social Media platforms
August - November
- Talk about awareness at several barangays and public schools
- Continuation of recruitment of youth volunteers
- Assisting the DOH in giving out male condoms
- Continuation of weekly informational posts in the Social Media platforms
December 1
- Celebration of the World AIDS Day
December - February
- Talk about awareness at several barangays and public schools
- Continuation of recruitment of youth volunteers
- Assisting the DOH in giving out male condoms
- Continuation of weekly informational posts in the Social Media platforms
- Holding surveys in each barangay and school attended whether the campaign was useful

VI. BUDGET

PROJECT NUMBER OF COST NUMBER OF TOTAL COST

 COMPONENT SPEAKERS TIMES

Guest Speakers 3 P 1,500.00 18 P 81,000.00

VII. ACTIVITIES

In order to achieve these objectives the project will:

● Assist the Department of Health (DOH) to further spread the awareness of HIV cases in
the Philippines with their current program, HIV/STI Prevention Program. This is with
regard to the prevention and fight against stigma and discrimination.
● Create a website which is separated from the DOH main website and that is wholly
dedicated to HIV awareness, particularly the cause and effects, the misconceptions,
solutions and preventions, and social responsibility.
● Invite professionals in the field of research and prevention of the said disease to conduct
talks in communities and schools.
● Reach out and campaign through social media networks by creating designated pages
for each platform, such as Facebook.
● Assist in the distribution of male condoms. This helps in further preventing the
transmission of HIV in bodily fluids, usually in intercourse.
● Organizing support groups that targets victims struggling against HIV and experiencing
the stigma around being a person infected with HIV.

VIII. CONCLUSION

Through the HIV Awareness for and by the Youth Project, a group of volunteer student-
leaders will be formed that will spread awareness about the truths, misconceptions, and
describe capability of group or justify why the org is the best group to implement the
proj)responsibilities surrounding HIV cases. This project does not only aim to educate the young
about the disease through talks, but to also create a chain of awareness through the use of
social media platforms and a website. Most of which are through the help and guidance of the
Department of Education.