January 8, 2019

THE PRESIDENT
Central Student Council
City College of Angeles

Dear Sir/Madam,

“HIV incidence in the country is increasing at a ‘fast and furious’ rate. Even more
fast and furious is the rate of infection among our youth.” This was the statement
made by Antoinette Evangelista, project officer at the DOH’s National AIDS/STI
Prevention and Control Program.

Based on the latest HIV/AIDS Registry of the Department of Health (DOH), in September
2018, there were 954 new HIV antibody seropositive individuals reported to the HIV/AIDS &
ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP). Nineteen percent (179) had clinical manifestations of
advanced HIV infection (WHO clinical stage 3 or 4) at the time of diagnosis. Ninety-four percent
(898) of the newly diagnosed were male. The median age was 28 years old (age range: 2 - 67
years old). More than half of the cases (52%, 492) were 25-34 years old and 28% (271) were 15-
24 years old at the time of testing.

One third (28%, 266) were from the National Capital Region (NCR). Region 4A (15%, 141
cases), Region 3 (11%, 104), Region 7 (10%, 91), Region 11 (6%, 59) and Region 12 (6%, 53),
round off the top six regions with the most number of newly diagnosed cases for the month,
together accounting for 76% of the total. Sexual contact remains the predominant mode of
transmission (98%, 936). Among this, 85% were males who have sex with males (MSM).

The national government has confronted the problem of HIV/AIDS aggressively with an
action plan that includes an emphasis on the response of the local government agencies,
involvement and support of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), incorporation of
HIV/AIDS education into the school curriculum, and laws forbidding discrimination
against persons with HIV/AIDS or belonging to the risk groups.

A highlight of the response was the enactment of the Philippine AIDS Prevention and
Control Act of 1998 (Republic Act No. 8504). This law called for a comprehensive
nationwide HIV/AIDS educational and information campaign. Section 4 of RA 8504
provides, to wit:

“Sec. 4. HIV/AIDS education in schools. — The Department of Education, Culture and

Sports (DECS), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical
Education and skills Development Authority (TESDA), utilizing official information
provided by the Department of Health, shall integrate instruction on the causes, modes of
transmission and ways of preventing HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
in subjects taught in public and private schools at intermediate grades, secondary and
tertiary levels, including non-formal and indigenous learning systems: Provided, That if
the integration of HIV/AIDS education is not appropriate or feasible, the DECS and
TESDA shall design special modules on HIV/AIDS prevention and control: Provided,
further, That it shall not be used as an excuse to propagate birth control or the sale or
distribution of birth control devices: Provided, finally, That it does not utilize sexually
explicit materials.”

Educating individuals especially the students about the risks associated with AIDS as
well as increasing knowledge on the modes of HIV transmission and prevention is to be
the first and most crucial step in battling the AIDS epidemic. Mega films believes that
entertainment-education is a useful strategy that entails the process of purposely
designing and implementing a media message through film to both entertain and educate,
in order to increase audience knowledge about an educational issue such as the AIDS
epidemic, create favorable attitudes, shift social norms, and change overt behavior. It is
often said that education is the vaccine against HIV.

Mega Films is thus pleased to present this proposal for your review. The objective of the
film showing is to help the youth especially the students promote safe and precautions in
practices and procedures that carry the risks of HIV transmission, eradication of
conditions that aggravate spread of HIV infection, and recognition of the role of affected
individuals in promoting information and messages about HIV/AIDS. The fight against
the disease in this country needed to be brought out into public domain.

We look forward to partnering with your student organization to provide an information

dissemination program on HIV/AIDS through film showing of a Department of Health
and National Youth Commission endorsed film entitled “BUGSO” at reasonable
viewing rate for students. (Please see attached package and price)

We will highly appreciate your kind action in taking an interest in our film and our
sincere desire to educate the people about HIV/AIDS. Please give us a call at 478 75 27
or 0939 162 1963, if you require any further information or have any questions
concerning this proposal.

Sincerely yours,

By:

Atty. FELICITO J. CERVANTES

Chief Administration Officer
0917 424 8447