#SaferNowPH Webinar on Biomedical HIV Prevention Methods

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In celebration of the community-led 2020 Philippine National HIV Prevention Month (NHPM), the #SaferNowPH campaign will hold a webinar on biomedical prevention methods on August 15, 2020, at 5:00 PM.

Utilizing the Philippine NHPM social media pages @HIVPrevMonthPH, the webinar will tackle the prophylactic medicines for HIV, including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP

PrEP is a daily medicine that prevents people, especially those at risk, from acquiring HIV. If taken correctly and consistently, PrEP can provide up to 99% protection.

PEP, on the other hand, is an emergency medicine taken immediately within 72 hours after a possible HIV exposure and continued for 28 days to reduce the risk of HIV infection by over 80%.

Learn more about these innovative HIV prevention methods with guest HIV physicians: Dr. Patrick Eustaquio of LoveYourself, Inc. and Dr. Kate Leyritana of Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines (SHIP) during the PrEP and PEP day celebration for NHPM 2020. The doctors will be discussing the effectiveness, safety, access to, and administration of these HIV preventive medicines.

Additionally, industry experts from the HIV community and service providers are invited to entertain inquiries about each method. HIV experts include Danvic Rosadiño, the lead convenor Kalasag PrEP Network, Dr. Mary Ann Joy Aguadera, the HUB chair at Manila Doctor’s Hospital, and Kenneth Samaco, HIV consultant of the World Health Organization Philippines.

This year is the first-ever holding of the Philippine NHPM, which was kicked-off last July 31. To be celebrated every July of each year, the NHPM is an initiative aligned with Presidential Proclamation No. 971, signed last June 23, declaring the second week of July as Infection Prevention and Control Week.

This year’s NHPM theme is “SaferNow,” which promotes the HIV combination prevention methods, including condoms and lubricants, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and antiretroviral treatment as prevention (TasP). The “SaferNow” campaign has a series of online activities scheduled during the month-long celebration:

• July 31 – Kick-Off and Launch

• August 8 – Condoms and Lube Day

• August 15 – PrEP and PEP Day

• August 22 – Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) Day

• August 29 – Culmination Activity

This intensified effort is also in response to the DOH’s report of 2,818 newly diagnosed Filipinos with HIV from January to March 2020. The age group of 25-34 year-olds has the highest incidence with 1,359, followed by 15-24 year-olds with 834.

The NHPM is spearheaded by the Global Fund Sustainability of HIV Services for Key Populations in Asia (SKPA) Program and CHAMPION Community Centers network; co-presented by AIDS Healthcare Foundation; sponsored by Rotary Club of Cubao Quezon City District 3780; also brought to you by Durex, Lauvette, 3M, Bliss Four, LUBIE, ChloRelief, Usana Philippines, EZ Lubricating Jelly, Premiere Condoms, Liquor Bouquet Philippines; and supported by UNAIDS Philippines, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, APCOM, and LoveYourself, Inc.

Community-based organizations around the country offering HIV-related services will conduct parallel activities to support this national event.

Yes, chef! WWF-Philippines’ new home cooking series puts sustainability into practice in our own kitchens

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In an effort to promote sustainable food consumption and production, as well as fundraise for its partner communities, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines is set to launch its latest online initiative this August 16 entitled Kawali-Kasan: A Sustainable Home Cooking Series.

With home-based activities like cooking and baking becoming a popular hobby during the quarantine period, the series will feature the country’s top celebrity chefs and cooking personalities, who will share their delicious, nutritious, and eco-friendly recipes for the audience to try.

Kate Dychangco-Anzani, who is among the first batch of chefs and personalities to share their cooking expertise, highlighted the importance of practicing sustainability in the food industry, sharing her experience as a successful restaurateur for the Anzani Restaurant Group. 

“The pandemic has changed how we see the world. We are in the food industry - and to go back to basics, especially supporting those who support us is a reality. The farmer community supports our industry. The core of restaurants and the very foundation of a restaurant is fresh ingredients and produce,” said Anzani. “Supporting local is the most visible solution moving forward. And you live by example. Hopefully those around you and the people that surround you get influenced by the life you live. Everything starts at home - you need to live the walk.”

Also joining the first wave of the series is reality TV chef JR Royol who shared the same sentiments about the significance of personally observing sustainable habits in one’s everyday life.

“It is actually a privilege to be part of this great initiative. Being a chef, it's a natural response to an opportunity to have a positive impact in any way we can. Sharing my skills to raise funds and awareness is the least that I can do. Realistically speaking, we should start (living sustainably) in our homes and workplace since these are the areas that we can change in real time by consciously adapting to environment-friendly best practices,” the MasterChef Pinoy Edition winner quips.

He also encouraged people to immediately shift to a more sustainable lifestyle to help #ChangeTheEnding for the environment.

“We should act now! We can and we have the courage to summon necessary strength to positively impact our surroundings. We start with the simplest and mundane things. It doesn’t have to be grand gestures—just consistent, conscious practices for conservation and preservation to be established.”

Kawali-Kasan: A Sustainable Home Cooking Series is set to run until October 2020. Visit WWF-Philippines’ official social media pages for further announcements for the succeeding line-ups and to know more about how you can help those in the forefront of environmental conservation.

Amid community lockdown, the postman still delivers

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Knowing how essential mails and packages are, Bert, a postal worker assigned at the Manila Central Post Office says that inspite of the danger of being infected with the virus they are doing their best to move the mail to the satisfaction of the mailing public.

Amid the much stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), minimal workforce was allowed to work on-site in gov’t agencies including PHLPost to ensure continuous delivery of services while observing community quarantine guidelines.

“Wala pong transportasyon, malinis ang kalsada, at parang ghost town ang paligid habang ginagawa namin ang aming delivery”, the Postman said in Filipino. (There are no public transportation, streets are empty, and the places look like a ghost town during our delivery).

The Postman along with their ever reliable motorcycles would be perfect to provide relief in delivering mails to pensioners, e-commerce parcels and sss calamity loan checks in the metropolis.

With very limited air and sea conveyance, the post office encounters difficulty in bringing the mails in and out of the country. That is why there were delays in the delivery of mails, vital supplies and important documents.

According to the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost), their workers are on the frontlines of the coronavirus. They are essential in keeping the public afloat during these extraordinary times of a lockdown.

“We are asking the public to bear with us during these difficult situations”, says Assistant Postmaster General for Operations Joel Zamudio.

"Now more than ever, we are careful to avoid possible health problems among our employees. We are regularly sanitizing the mails and disinfecting our facilities for the safety of our clients, following the health and safety protocols of the government”, he added.

We are also fixing the old annex building at the iconic Manila Central Post Office to house the new medical and quarantine facility for our workers in Metro Manila", Postmaster General Joel Otarra said.

Post Offices in the country are open daily (Monday to Friday) to accept and deliver mails and packages, postal id capturing and Bayad Center payment facility.

PHLPost has partnered with Bayad Center for the public to conveniently transact the payment of utilities especially to those who cannot leave their homes due to the lockdown. The postman may pick up their payments with corresponding acknowledgement receipts after which a return receipt will be delivered to clients after transactions.

PHLPost is now focusing on the supply chain and the last-mile delivery of essential services as well as the provision of basic postal and financial services.

With many unable to leave their homes, the friendly postman may be the most important guy to turn to, risking their lives to ensure that essential services reach their doorsteps.