BAGUIO, Philippines – For one young man from Itogon, Benguet, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was just something he had heard about in passing, until it became his reality.
Rodel (not his real name) had kept his secret in high school – his attraction to other boys.
“I discovered in high school that I also liked boys, but I was very discreet,” he said.
That changed when he started meeting people online, venturing into a world he had only imagined. Then came the risk he hadn’t fully grasped.
“Before the pandemic, I started meeting people online and exploring my sexuality. I trusted too easily and wasn’t cautious. Maybe that’s why I got HIV,” Rodel said.
In 2021, Rodel tested positive for the virus that causes the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
“I was dumbfounded. Suicidal thoughts came, but I fought them,” he recalled. “I realized this isn’t the end. The medications became my lifeline. It’s just like maintenance meds – it’s part of my routine now,” he said.
Today, treatment has rendered the virus undetectable in his system – he can no longer transmit it.
His story is one of survival, of facing down fear, of adapting to a new normal. But it is also a reminder that HIV is real, and so is hope. Awareness and prevention make the difference.
Numbers don’t lie
The number of HIV cases in the Cordillera region continues to rise, with 1,248 recorded infections from 1984 to November 2024, according to Darwin Babon, Regional Program Manager of the National AIDS and STI Prevention and Control Program (NASPCP) CAR.
Between January and November 2024 alone, 170 new cases were documented – a 14% increase. Of the total cases, 1,159 involved males and 89 were females.
The primary mode of transmission remains male-to-male sex, accounting for 59% of cases, followed by male-female sex at 16%.
With infections climbing, the call for expanded access to testing and treatment has become increasingly urgent.
There are several treatment hubs across the Cordillera. In Baguio, these facilities are in the following:
- Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC)
- Health Services Office-Baguio (HSO)
- Notre Dame de Chartres Hospital
- Balay Marvi by Love Yourself at Session Road
Similar facilities are accessible in other areas in the Cordillera. The facilities are in the following:
- Benguet General Hospital in Benguet
- Far North Medical Center in Apayao
- La Paz Rural Health Unit in Abra
- Kalinga Provincial Hospital in Kalinga
Another facility is still being set up in Luis Hora Memorial Hospital in the Mountain Province.
Advocacy
On Sunday, February 9, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Philippines, in collaboration with the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) Baguio-Benguet, marked International Condom Day (ICD) with an advocacy event at People’s Park in Baguio City. The initiative included free HIV testing, condom distribution, and educational sessions aimed at reducing stigma around condom use and promoting safer sex practices.
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, a vocal advocate for sexual health, emphasized the importance of combination prevention – integrating condom use with Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) for individuals living with HIV.
“Sex should be about pleasure, love, and connection – without fear,” Wurtzbach said. “Protecting yourself is never something to be ashamed of. Condoms aren’t just a barrier; they symbolize self-respect, mutual care, and responsibility.”
Stigma and misinformation
Condom use is declining globally despite more than 1 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) being acquired daily, according to the World Health Organization.
Dr. Ryan Guinaran, country program manager for AHF Philippines, warned that stigma and misinformation continue to prevent many from accessing condoms and essential sexual health services.
“In the Philippines, many still hesitate to get condoms because of societal judgment. But using protection isn’t a privilege – it’s a right,” Guinaran said.
Dr. Chhim Sarath, AHF Asia bureau chief, cited cultural stigma and lack of education as barriers across the region. “Across Asia, cultural stigma and a lack of education keep millions from accessing condoms. We need to break these barriers. Condoms remain the most cost-effective way to prevent HIV and other STIs,” he said.
Observed annually on February 13, the International Condom Day aims not just to distribute condoms but to shift public perception, making safe sex a normal and stigma-free conversation.
With HIV cases rising in Baguio and elsewhere in the Cordillera, discussions on prevention have taken on greater urgency. AHF and FPOP clinics continue to offer free HIV testing and condoms year-round, reinforcing the message that awareness and protection remain the best defense against infection. – Rappler.com