Community-based organizations are pumped for the new grant

written by Raymond Manahan

Leads of the Champion Community Centers network are pumped with the new round grant from the Global Fund (GF) to help their respective communities grow and be sustainable.

The Decent Image of South Signal Association (DIOSSA) and Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) Pampanga Chapter are among the organizations that have been part of the network since its establishment.

DIOSSA is a transgender-focused CBO based in Taguig, which specializes in addressing sexual health, psychosocial well-being, and human rights-related issues in the transgender community. Tanya Laguing, President of DIOSSA, said the organization expects new challenges from the project given its wider scope and new strategies. With this, the organization relies on more focus on key population (KP) interventions and the employment of innovative strategies.

FPOP Pampanga Chapter is a local unit of the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, based in San Fernando City. FPOP is a nationwide organization that concentrates in providing services on sexual & reproductive health and rights. Leading its Pampanga location is its Chapter Program Manager, Valentina David.

Similar to DIOSSA, David said that the new goals and strategies of PROTECTS will bring new challenges to the organization. Nonetheless, she expects that with the help of the community and all its partners, the organization will be able to better contribute to reaching the project’s targets.

“We hope to be able to reach more people in the community, given the support from the grant and our partners,” said David. Both organizations are committed to strengthening their relationship with partners such as the local government unit and the local health office, and other stakeholders to widen their reach among high risk groups. “We want to reach more companies like call centers, clinics, and malls. We also intend to involve youth volunteers to support our activities,” said David.

She also emphasized that the ACER project played an integral role in their community center’s growth towards being able to offer services not just for HIV testing and treatment, but also for other STIs and combination prevention campaigns. Laguing, on the other hand, highlighted their technical learnings in programmatic and financial reporting. Moving forward into the PROTECTS project, DIOSSA and FPOP Pampanga Chapter will use this foundation not just to contribute to the program’s goals, but also to flourish as Champion Community Centers.

Leader's perspective

Among the people looking forward to the transition to PROTECTS project is LoveYourself’s Senior Program Manager, J.D. Ruanto.

Ruanto started as a program officer under the GF ISEAN-HIVOS Programme grant in 2014 and eventually served as the Program Manager for ACER in 2018. He now provides oversight to external grants at LoveYourself.

He expressed that the PROTECTS project will continue giving technical assistance to community centers and support for organizational development to CBOs engaged in the ACER grant. “It is still our goal to help mopre CBOs under GF Sites to establish their own community centers and strengthen capacities of CBOs to ensure organizational sustainability,” Ruanto said. In addition to existing 15 community centers developed under ACER grant, nine more centers will be established this year and new CBOs will be engaged in the PROTECTS project as part of its mission to widen the scope of the advocacy.

New mechanisms and strategies will also be employed by the project to take a more community-centric and context-specific approach. Ruanto said, “we will maximize the use of online platforms in disseminating information about HIV testing and communicating the importance of treatment. Emphasis will also be given to developing localized campaign materials focusing on different key populations.”

He added that innovative strategies will be one of the highlights of the PROTECTS project. Though he sees this as both opportunity and challenge, Ruanto maintains that with the combined efforts of the LGU, CBOs, the regional health office, and other partners, these innovations will be pivotal to reaching the goals of the project.

Above all the strategies the PROTECTS project will utilize, he believes that a strong collaboration with the LGU and the regional health office is key to the success of the project. “This is a national project and the Global Fund is here to help the government in its initiatives to eradicate HIV and AIDS in the Philippines,” Ruanto said.

It is Ruanto’s hope that the project will be able to reach more people and strengthen more community centers. “We want to engage more KPs, and make sure no one is left behind”, he added. With wider reach, innovative strategies, and community-specific approaches, Ruanto is optimistic that the PROTECTS project will not only contribute to the national response to HIV and AIDS, but also to the UNAIDS 2025 target.