PROTECTS ties in more LGUs to eradicate the HIV epidemic

written by Raymond Manahan

As the Champion Community Centers continue to grow, more local government units (LGUs) in the country are taking part in the nationwide initiative to eradicate HIV and AIDS in the Philippines. Baguio City and the Quezon Province are among the additions to the Global Fund-supported areas in the country under the PROTECTS project.

From February 9 to 11, PROTECTS Program Manager JM Maynes and Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Rafael Reyes met with different stakeholders in Baguio City. A meeting was held with the Area Regional Coordinator, Mikhail Taggueg, along with the regional field staff, to identify and address the challenges they encountered in the initial activities of the project. The FPOP Baguio Chapter also shared their initiatives and best practices in empowering the youth to spread awareness of HIV, family planning, and adolescent sexual health during the meeting. The team also visited stakeholders in the Department of Health- Cordillera Administrative Region to finally lay down the plans for the PROTECTS project and discuss potential collaborations.

The City of Lucena also welcomed the PROTECTS team on February 19. LoveYourself Senior Program Manager JD Ruanto, together with Program Manager JM Maynes, visited the Integrated Provincial Health Office of Quezon and met with the medical director of Quezon Medical Center, Dr. Rolando Padre. After their facility tour, Maynes and Ruanto discussed the project with the people in the Governor’s office, highlighting the strategies on how to strengthen multi-sectoral approach to responding to the epidemic.

These visits are part of the onboarding process of LGUs and other community partners conducted by PROTECTS.

In the next few months, the PROTECTS team will initiate courtesy visits and coordination meetings with other LGUs: first, to have a deeper understanding of each areas' HIV situation, second, to establish a stronger relationship with local stakeholders and partners, and lastly, align local targets with the national targets in the HIV care cascade.