MANILA, July 27 — An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Health Care (CBCP-ECHC) urged the Department of Health (DOH) to revisit its program in fighting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
With this, Fr. Dan Cansino, executive secretary of CBCP-ECHC, said the government should also focus on other strategies such as giving importance to values.
“Sana mapatupad yung behavior change, sa totoong pagpapahalaga ng values natin,” he said in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas 846.
The Catholic priest added, “Hangga’t hindi natin yun binibigyan ng pansin, pinapalamanan natin ang lahat ng ating mga strategies, values mula sa kabataan, young adults, out-of-school youths and even yung mga nasa eskwelahan mawawala ang halaga ng ating strategy. Tataas at tataas talaga pa rin ang ating kaso.“
He noted that funds have been used in the implementation of the Reproductive Health law by distributing condom but it did not stop the increasing number of HIV cases.
The CBCP had said that instead of promoting the use of contraceptives, the government should instill to the people specially the youth about the importance of valuing their body and the possible danger of engaging in premarital sex at an early age and having sex with people other than his wife or her husband.
Based on DOH report for April this year, 629 people have HIV, 80 percent or 513 of them are between the age of 15 to 34 or the millennials.
It added that half of the number got infected for having sexual intercourse with the same sex.
The DOH has allocated PHP1 billion for the HIV-AIDs awareness campaign which included the distribution of contraceptives to schools.
The Catholic Church has repeatedly objected the campaign since it would only encourage the youth to engage in premarital sex. (Ferdinand G. Patinio/PNA)
