OLONGAPO CITY — “United against HIV” is the campaign slogan of the recently launched project of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Olongapo City club.

The project, dubbed “Red Dot on HIV,” officially kicked-off on December 7 with a forum and program held at Ayala Harbor Point Mall. The 256 total participants are members of various JCI clubs in the region, students and members of the LGBT.

“Red Dot” means “alarm” and “stop”, and we chose this symbolism as relevant to our goals of putting a stop on this health crisis by tackling it through a multi-stakeholder approach. JCI Olongapo hopes to not only bring awareness of the problem to the general public, but also to share possible solutions for prevention,” said Abrajano, President of JCI Olongapo.

The campaign, he explained, was conceived amid the reported growing number of HIV cases in the country- 35 new cases per day. As of June 2019, DOH recorded 6,409 cases of persons living with HIV are reported to be residents of Region 3. Therefore, JCI deemed it a worthwhile endeavor to launch this campaign, Abrajano added.

The launch was highlighted by a forum where health experts were invited to help the audience understand what HIV is, and how the increasing number of cases impacts the community. A free HIV testing was also offered to the participants, which was accomplished in partnership with the Olongapo City Health Office. Of the almost 300 who attended “Red Dot” launch, some 40 Olongapeños availed of the free test.

City Health Officer Dr. Cynthia Mendoza gave a backgrounder on HIV from a medical and technical point of view. She also shared the reasons why people engage in risky sexual practices.

“Risky behaviors start early but access to services are delayed. It’s a lot of factors such as lack of knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases, not seeking medical care, lack of access or being unable to afford treatment, use of alcohol and drugs which leads to careless sexual behaviors.” Mendoza said.

Mendoza also announced that the Olongapo City Government provides free HIV testing to residents. These could be availed at the James Gordon Memorial Hospital, the City Health Office, and local barangay health centers.

Among the invited speakers, one was a young gay who came out with his revelation of being diagnosed as HIV positive some two years ago.

Anthony Fababier, an employee of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and a resident of Olongapo City, shared the painful yet colorful journey of his “coming out” to publicly declare his gender choice. He likewise related how he dealt and coped with the doctors’ diagnosis of his condition.

“It’s not easy to talk about HIV for the fear of being judged. This fear is part of the reason why there is so much stigma, discrimination, and misunderstanding. I dared to speak because I know that this has to stop.” Fababier narrated.

Executive Vice President Rionyl Cercado of JCI Olongapo meanwhile called for more support from concerned citizens.

“As a campaign, we wanted to appeal to young people and asked the support of influencers whom we are proud to call Red Dot ambassadors,” Cercado said.

As of the launch, several advocates of the fight against HIV have already volunteered their services, aside from Mendoza and Fababier. They are Judie Flores (Miss Olongapo 2019), Edlen Laurino-Marfal, Andrew Salburo, Rodman Barroga (SK Federation president), and City Councilor Kaye Legaspi.”

For the great attendance, Alona Ongue, project chair of “Red Dot,” considers the program launch a success. She said that JCI is sharing this success with partners Olongapo City Local Government, Olongapo City Health Office, Olongapo City Tourism Office, Barangay Barretto LGU, Ayala Harbor Point Mall, RP Energy, Olistica Spa, Circle J Store, Blushing Gifts, Samba Bluewater Resort, El Molina Beach Resort, Inflatable Island, Lakbay Museo, Zoobic Safari, Bayview Park Hotel Manila, Princess Cut Couture, Zugba Grill, James O’ Briant, Desie Yambao, Bebeth Marzan, Tet Marzan, Subic Broadcasting Corporation, Aksyon Bandera FM, and 89.5 Subic Bay Radio.

“We are thankful to all our partners for this milestone. A problem as big as HIV requires our concerted effort as a community, and we, at JCI, are very happy to have this people and groups as our partners,” Ongue said.