People Power at LoveYourself’s Launch of TestMNL at Cherry Poppin’ Party Underpinning the HIV Advocacy

Wazzup Pilipinas!

People from various walks of life donated an overwhelming support at the LoveYourself’s launch of TestMNL Campaign at the Cherry Poppin’- The 3rd Party on Saturday night (25 February) at One Canvas Events Place in Makati City, proving the people’s power in helping reduce, if not eliminate, the stigma on and spread of HIV-AIDS in the Philippines.

Tacking in at the annual Cherry Poppin’ –an annual fundraising through a man-date auction, LoveYourself unveiled its newest HIV campaign dubbed as TestMNL, just visit its website: testmnl.org for activities and other information.

“LoveYourself is reinforcing the HIV advocacy with TestMNL which is an adaptation of the TestBKK conducted in Bangkok, Thailand,” LoveYourself Executive Director Ronivin Pagtakhan informed.

Pagtakhan added “With TestMNL, we are aiding the information gap through this intervention among the vulnerable populations like the youth and the males-who-have-sex-with males or what we call MSMs.”

Cherry Poppin’ Auctionee BJ Pascual

Cherry Poppin’ Auctionee Jeremy Favia

TestMNL x Cherry Poppin’ Performer Lady Gagita

TestMNL x Cherry Poppin’ Performer Venus of O-Bar

HIV Testing Ambassadors

Fresh from coming out from a known reality TV show and as a gay man on national TV, TestMNL ambassador Jerome Alacre wanted to share his knowledge about HIV-AIDS to raise awareness and to ultimately stop the stigma attached to the LGBT community and the disease.

Primarily advocating for quality education being an educator himself, Alacre said his main purpose in supporting the HIV advocacy is to utilize his social media influence to impart necessary information to the people in becoming more responsible especially when engaging in sexual activities.

“There is a big difference on how people in the U.S. manage the HIV-AIDS issue compared in the Philippines, as they have very easy access to treatment and tests. We want something similar to happen in the Philippines, especially on testing because that’s the most important part,” relayed Alacre, who was an OFW in California for five years.

Other ambassadors of TestMNL are Mr. Gay World Philippines (MGWP) 2016 winners John Raspado (title), Bench Ortiz (1st runner-up) and Khalil Vera Cruz (2nd runner up).

TestMNL is a campaign funded by the Elton John AIDS Foundation through the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM), a regional organization that promotes HIV issues that affect the lives of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people, including rights, health and well-being.

DOE Pushes for Energy Security in BIMP-EAGA Meet

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Energy (DOE) expressed full support for the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Power and Energy Cluster whose thrusts run parallel to the country’s own agenda of ensuring energy security, promoting a low carbon future, achieving total electrification, improving energy efficiency and conservation.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi at the 2017 BIMP-EAGA Strategic Planning Meeting was represented by DOE-Assistant Secretary Leonido J. Pulido III.

As Head of the Philippine energy sector delegates, Pulido also Chaired the discussions of the Power and Energy Infrastructure (PEI) Cluster during the two-day breakout sessions.

According to Pulido, the key output of the cluster meeting is the formulation of the nine-year ‎‎‎(2017-2025) Power and Energy Infrastructure Cluster (PEIC) Roadmap for the different sub-sectors such as for Power Interconnection, Renewable Energy (RE), Rural Electrification and Sub-Regional Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C) rolling pipeline project as input to the final BIMP-EAGA Vision ‎‎‎2017-2025 (BEV2025).

On the power infrastructure connectivity of the Philippines to the sub-region, the BIMP-EAGA Business Council (BEBC) presented to the Philippine delegates the proposed Sabah to Palawan Interconnection project.

The BEBC, a private sector group, initiated the partnership with the Provincial Government of Palawan aiming to deliver electric power from Sabah to Palawan.

During the meeting, the BEBC informed the participants that the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding may take place by April 2017 and when this will be realized, "it will provide the needed capacity addition to the country,” Pulido said.

In support of the Philippine Energy Sector 8-point Agenda, Pulido also underscored the need to strengthen the resiliency of energy infrastructures in the sub-region.

BEBC Brunei proposed a renewable energy resource assessment for each country intending to identify feedstock as fuel for a proposed biomass generating facility project.

Pulido reported that “The Philippines will pursue coordination meetings between the private sector, National Government Agencies (NGAs) and the provincial Government of Palawan to be able to review existing policies and regulation on cross-border trading and to facilitate the timely execution of the proposed interconnection.”

The BIMP Senior Officials welcomed the outputs of the Power and Energy Infrastructure Cluster and look forward to the efficient implementation of the different plans and activities until 2025 in partnership with the private sector and other key stakeholders.

Letran and Ad Foundation to Hold AdSpeak ‘17 (Updated)

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Colegio de San Juan de Letran, in partnership with the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines, will convene delegates from various schools when it holds AdSpeak ‘17, a student convention on values advertising. Letran and the Ad Foundation are co-presenting AdSpeak ’17 since they share the same goal of promoting values and worthwhile advocacies in advertisements.

The event, which will take place on March 10, will be held at the Student Center Auditorium of Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros, Manila. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis.

AdSpeak ’17 aims to impress on future communicators the importance of advertising with positive values.

Advertising experts will share their insights during the whole-day affair. Among them are Melvin Mangada, Partner & Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno; Maya Estrada, Operations Manager, Ad Standard Council; Titus Arce, Managing Director, Dentsu Jayme Syfu; Alan Fontanilla, Managing Director, MullenLowe Open Phils.; Maya Ambalada-Roldan, Business Unit Director, Y&R Phils.; Paolo de Leon, Creative Director, Aspac/Dentsu Aegis Network; Jethro Adriano, Chief Creative Officer, Project Junkie; and Paolo Agulto, Creative Group Head, DDB Singapore.

Aside from talks from resource speakers, AdSpeak ’17 will mount its Values Advertising Awards, Students’ Choice Awards and Online Choice Awards. Commercials that uphold values have been created and entered by student delegates in six categories: Print, Radio, TV, Campaign, Digital and Brand Communications.

The AdSpeak’17 student convention is sponsored by Enervon Multivitamins, The Linden Suites, Hawk Bags, The Luxe Box, Greenwich, Nips, Hunts, Payless Pancit Canton, Mark Fragrances, The Soap Spot, Bic, Hallmark, Wild Format, Summit Media, DZUP 1602, Wazzup Pilipinas, Take Off PH, DZXL RMN’s Creativoices and Voice of the Youth Network, Click the City and Adobo Magazine.