Nongovernment Organizations and Civil Society

Minimizing the Risks in Philippine Island of Bohol

The island of Bohol in the central Philippine region of the Visayas is not only a fast-growing tourist destination but also a source for many seafarers employed by international shipping lines. Both industries represent possible paths for the influx of HIV/AIDS in a country that has so far largely managed to keep the illness at bay.

Recognizing this, the PATH Foundation, a Philippine nongovernment organization, is stepping up its campaign on Bohol to increase public awareness of HIV/AIDS, and support for steps to minimize the risks of its spread. In this effort, it is being helped by a grant from ADB given in 2007.

In particular, PATH is working to retrain and recruit peer volunteers and community health officers for an outreach program to bring about behavioral change. It also aims to win policy support of local government units (LGUs) to place HIV/AIDS in their development plans help LGUs public health service providers to establish peer outreach systems.

PATH’s approach, which has evolved as it has learned from experience carrying out the grant-supported project, particularly targets resorts, commercial sex workers, and dependent families of overseas Filipino workers. The emphasis is placed on the need for project continuity and stakeholders’ ownership after the ADB’s two-year project ends.

In early 2008, ADB visited the project site, met with project personnel, reviewed project progress. The conclusion was that more awareness campaigns were needed in the general community and hotel and resort owners should distribute information, while making condoms available in their premises.

The review found that the main stumbling to achieving better results was the general lack of awareness among the public and government sectors of the risk and danger of HIV/AIDS spreading quickly.

PATH admits that the low perception of risk to HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections - and the perceived stigma that overseas Filipino workers are at a higher risk than the general population - have to be considered in their actions.

It thus targets harnessing LGU support to ensure the project’s long-term sustainability.

“While the project has received some LGU support for transportation costs, use of venues, logistics and human resources, the long-term viability of the project will not be assured unless the LGUs become major stakeholders in each town and municipality and approve regulations that support anti-HIV/AIDS programs,” says Bart Edes, Head of ADB’s NGO and Civil Society Center.

“Harnessing the community peer volunteers is an efficient way of expanding human resources who can deliver HIV/AIDS messages and service at the local level.”