Local Government Academy Department of the Interior and Local Government Practices that Work: HIV and AIDS Local Response in the Philippines Published by: Local Government Academy All rights reserved. Parts of this publication may be reproduced with proper acknowledgement. Writers: Elyzabeth F. Cureg Raphael N. Montes, Jr. Substance Editors: Institutional Partnership Unit – LGA Patrick Omar B. Erestain Karl Abalos Sly Z. Barrameda Copy Editor: Layout and Design: All rights reserved. Copyright 2014 Local Government Academy 8/F Agustin 1 Building. F. Ortigas Jr. Road (formerly Emerald Avenue) Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 1605 Philippines Tel. no.: (632) 634 8430 / 634 8436 www.lga.gov.ph/hiv List of Acronyms v Introduction viii Chronicles of Success Foretold 1 BAGUIO CITY For Many are Called 12 SANTIAGO CITY From Troubled Teens to Power Peers 21 PARAÑAQUE CITY Guarding the Backdoor 30 ZAMBOANGA CITY Everybody’s Business 42 PROVINCE OF AKLAN A Different Battlefield 56 PROVINCE OF NORTH COTABATO AAI Abante Aklan, Inc. AIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome AFRHS Adolescent Friendly Reproductive Health Services ALS alternative learning system AOP Annual Operating Plan APAC Aklan Provincial HIV and AIDS Council APAFZ Association of Partners for an AIDS-Free Zamboanga APEC Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation AWAC (Baguio) AIDS Watch Council BALUTI Batang Laging Umiiwas sa Tiyak na Impeksyon BANS Baguio Association of Night Spots BARS Bars and Restaurants Association of Baguio City BASULTA Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-tawi BB Butterfly Brigade BCYA Baguio Center for Young Adults BHW Barangay Health Worker BIMP-EAGA Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area BLAACP Barangay Legal Action Against Child Prostitution CHAMP (Local) Catalytic Actions for HIV and AIDS Mitigation Programme CHD Center for Health Development CHO City Health Office CLGOO City Local Government Operations Officer COM Crossover Mission CSC Civil Service Commission CSO civil society organizations CSW commercial sex workers DepEd Department of Education DILG Department of the Interior and Local Government DOH Department of Health DOJ Department of Justice DOLE Department of Labor and Employment DRSTMH Doctor Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital EEW establishment entertainment workers EO Executive Order FHI Family Health International FSW freelance sex workers; female sex workers GFATM Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria GGP Gawad Galing Pook GRO guest relations officer HDES Human Development and Empowerment Services HIV human immunodeficiency virus HSO Health Service Office IDU injecting drug user IEC information, education and communication IPHO Integrated Provincial Health Office IT information technology KTV karaoke tv LAC Local AIDS Council LEGSC League of Enthusiastic Gays in Santiago City LGU local government unit LMP League of Municipalities of the Philippines MARP most-at-risk populations MIU Men in Uniform MOP Manual of Procedures MSM men having sex with men NASPCP National AIDS-STI Prevention and Control Program NEC National Epidemiology Center NGO non-government organizations OCSWDO Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Office OFW overseas Filipino workers PEC Peer Educators Council PHO Provincial Health Office PIA Philippine Information Agency PLHIV People Living with HIV and AIDS PMS premarital sex PNP Philippine National Police PPDO Provincial Planning and Development Office PPP Public-Private Partnership RA Republic Act RAAT Regional AIDS Assistance Team RH reproductive health RHWC Reproductive Health and Wellness Center SCMS Santiago City Medical Society SEBAS Santiago Entertainment Business Association SEC Securities and Exchange Commission SHC Social Hygiene Clinic SK Sangguniang Kabataan SSOA Shindig Stall Owners Association STI sexually transmitted infections SWDO Social Welfare and Development Office TESDA Technical Education and Skills Development Authority TWG Technical Working Group UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNFPA United Nations Population Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development VAW Violence against women VCT voluntary counseling and testing WAD World AIDS Day ZCMSAC Zamboanga City Multi-Sectoral AIDS Council ZEA Zamboanga Entertainment Association The rise in the number of HIV and AIDS cases in the Philippines continue to alarm the world. The country’s epidemic is described as “hidden and growing”. Commitments to halt this epidemic have launched efforts both at the national and local levels. Local Government Academy’s Program on Scaling-up Effective and Sustained Response on HIV and AIDS is one such effort. In partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, initiatives focused on developing the leadership capacities of local governments and the Regional AIDS Assistance Teams in providing sustainable local AIDS responses. Aside from capacity building, research and publication and technical assistance, the Program launched the local C.H.A.M.P. (Catalytic Actions for HIV and AIDS Mitigation Programme) Award. Local CHAMP recognizes the good practices of local governments in addressing the HIV and AIDS problem and in improving services to their target clientele. The awards started in 2010 and the practices of six LGU winners are featured in this publication. The stories and experiences in four cities (Baguio, Santiago, Parañaque, Zamboanga) and 2 provinces (Aklan, North Cotabato) were captured primarily through document and literature review and interviews. BAGUIO CITY. The story outlines the pioneering ideas and actions of the city since 1987, eleven years before the enactment of RA 8504. Readers would learn that the city was the first to create a local AIDS Council, first to recruit the active participation of the private sector, and to practice the STI Syndromic Case Reporting System. The city’s internationally recognized Bonjing website and its fun and jam-packed Annual WAD Conference is also a good practice to discover. Not surprisingly, the City’s RHWC was once noted as the best and most ideal facility, being able to offer quality and comprehensive package of services for PLHIVs and the general populace alike. SANTIAGO CITY. The city enjoyed a relatively long HIV-free period, until the first case was recorded in 2011. Their local response nevertheless started as early as 2008. The city exhibits foresight and astuteness in effectively building a functional multi-sectoral coalition that jointly works to strengthen HIV and AIDS advocacy efforts. It also introduced the mobile awareness booth that roams around the town’s public places, schools and institutional complexes together with the volunteer peer educators who serve as the information personnel. PARAÑAQUE CITY. The city showed that delinquents-to-role model approach is a risky but fulfilling strategy if applied correctly. Deviating from the basic peer counseling methodology, the self-help initiative of a dozen alcoholics/addicts/gang members through the initial support of Save the Children, grew into what is the Adolescent-Friendly RH Services in Parañaque City. Officially founded under the B.A.L.U.T.I. program, the BALUTI together with the City Health Office manages both the community- based and school-based activities that is grounded on their effective Give Me 5 Communication Approach. ZAMBOANGA CITY. Recognizing the threats not only locally but also from the neighboring countries, the City championed the cause when it created and enriched the membership of the Multi-Sectoral AIDS Council. It also organized the at-risk groups and customized programs for IDUs. It saw the need to prepare IEC materials in Chavacano and to beef up the composition of inspection activities of its Task Force Buenas. All in all, the city welcomed all possible partners from all walks of life. AKLAN PROVINCE. The province led in the formation of a multi-sectoral collaboration that capitalizes on the expertise of member-partners in fighting the HIV and AIDS problem in Aklan. It reached out to the youth, gay community, CSOs, academe and media. This collaboration was instrumental in the design of creative IEC campaigns and the creation of the Peer Educators Council. Every December, the WAD celebration is a reflection of the concerted efforts of all Council/Collaboration members. NORTH COTABATO PROVINCE. This is an interesting case featuring an RH/HIV/AIDS awareness program for men in uniform (MIU). In partnership with development aid agencies, the province managed the conduct of a series of training activities for selected military battalions. Peer facilitators were identified from each of the platoons. As a result, rate of condom use as well as MIU availing vasectomy procedures increased. These six cases are excellent examples of meaningful and life-changing undertakings on HIV and AIDS. They show that local governments and community organizations can make a difference. Size does not matter when passion, compassion and competence are present. These cases present practices that work, even against a huge enemy like HIV and AIDS. Their moment of submission of the awards application document is like a foretelling. The flow of events would clearly suggest the ending. There is no doubt in anyone familiar with their story that Baguio City would win the 2011 Local C.H.A.M.P Award. THE SETTING Baguio, located in the Province of Benguet and 250 kilometers north of Manila, is a first class city. Its 129 barangays occupy 57.5 square kilometers of land. As of 2010, its estimated population