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Statement for the Day 15 of the Community Quarantine Due to COVID-19 (March 30, 2020) On our 15th day since the effectivity of the community quarantine due to COVID-19, LoveYourself continues to extend its utmost care for its clients, volunteers, and health workers. As a community-based non-profit organization, we continue to draw strength and inspiration from our beloved community. In times of crisis like COVID19, our community's expressions of love come in different forms. Your understanding and support enable us to operate smoothly amidst the occurrence of technical challenges. Despite our limited capacity, we endeavor for continuous delivery of our sexual health and trans health services, particularly the access of anti-retroviral medicines of our clients on treatment through our Xpress Refill program. With the direction from the Department of Health, we were also able to serve non-clients access their life-saving medications given the situation. We wouldn't have made this

By Carlos Diego A. Rozul Women’s month is not only a celebration, but it’s also a time to augment the empowerment of all women. Intersectional feminism reminds us to be cognizant of the different factors that affect gender equality. These factors include ethnicity, age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and physical/mental ability among others. As we recognize the essential part of women in building today’s society, let us take a look at how femininity has been a part of select women’s lives. Transgender Health Officers of LoveYourself Inc., Jesse Castelo, Eda Catabas, and Yanyan Arana (L-R) Eda Catabas and Jesse Castelo are some of the newest Trans Health Officers of LoveYourself Inc. As trans women themselves, they feel right at home in their new role. Together with their teammates, they are partnering up with Decent Image of South Signal Association (DIOSSA) for an event to celebrate Women’s Month. Femininity is very important for me because I gr

By LoveYourself Communications MANDALUYONG CITY (March 20, 2020) – The LoveYourself, Inc., a community-based non-profit primary health care facility for people living with HIV (PLHIV), appeals for the support of the government for the continued and uninterrupted access of PLHIV to anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs. Primarily, LoveYourself asks for the help of concerned national agencies, the local government units, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure smooth delivery of health services to the PLHIV community. The organization understands the government's precautions, and fully abide with the directives of the Department of Health (DOH) to help contain the spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the continued delivery of its services is crucial in addressing another kind of pandemic, which is HIV. LoveYourself Executive Director Ronivin Pagtakhan explained that "People living with

By LoveYourself Communications In response to the impending community quarantine in Metro Manila on March 15, 2020, LoveYourself has innovated its antiretroviral therapy (ART) refill delivery system. Through the XPress by LoveYourself, clients enrolled in its treatment services can have their ART refills delivered to their doorstep. This ensures reduced risk for LoveYourself clients living with HIV to be exposed to COVD-19 by reducing the number of clients visiting LoveYourself Centers and eliminating the need to travel. Sign up for the service at go.loveyourself.ph/xpressrefill . Please be mindful of the following eligibility requirements: 6 months experience of ART (no dropping out of care in between). Must have a recent viral load monitoring result within 1 year of less than 1000 copies/mL (Undetectable Viral Load ) Good eligibility status in PhilHealth due to updated contributions. Experience no severe adverse effects of ART Have at least 12 days worth of remaining ART pills. NOTIC

Self Love By Aphrodite At times I wish to be, Someone else, My reflection looking Right back at me. At times I wish to be free Somebody new My actions overlooking Who I was meant to be But this time, today I want to be truly me, My own steps accepting, A woman of my own finally Babae, Ako By Bet Domingo Babae ako. Oo, babae. Alam ko na, Kahit bata pa lang. Kahit ako si utoy, At hindi si nene. Kahit barber’s cut, At hindi long hair. Kahit naka-shorts, At hindi naka-palda. Kahit laging blue, At hindi pink. Babae ako. Oo, babae po ako. Lalo na ngayon, Dahil nasa edad na ako. Kahit ako’y may junjun At walang flower. Kahit ‘di ka maniwala, At di mo tanggapin. Kahit pa kinukutsya, At di mo ipagtanggol. Babae po ako. At tao rin po ako. Questions My Woman By Bet Domingo Question my existence. Hurts my woman of life. Carried me for nine months, Labored me for days, And took care of me for years. Question my whole being. Pains my woman protector. Hugged me for my tears. Wa

By Ryan Taborada Twenty-one new volunteers from Batch Espada were welcomed to the LoveYourself family on February 16, 2020, at LoveYourself White House , in Cebu City. This fourth batch of volunteers in Cebu was already involved in the HIV advocacy completing 50 hours of volunteer work prior to the orientation. This gave every volunteer to get to know each other and develop the dedication of working in the advocacy.  “The orientation was a way to formally welcome Batch Espada volunteers who have already shown their commitment by rendering community hours before they were allowed to join the official orientation,” said Dennis Tagamolila, head of Cebu’s LoveU - the committee spearheading the event. The day’s agenda included an HIV Situationer from Atty. Orville Dela Cerna, which presented data on the state of HIV transmissions both globally and locally. Tagamolila then continued with a discussion on volunteerism, invigorating the passion they have for the advocacy. Soon after LoveU membe