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By LoveYourself Communications LoveYourself celebrates its 9th anniversary this July. Truly, a lot has changed since its inception, with over 1,200 volunteers strong, and seven community centers nationwide. Volunteers are indeed the lifeblood of the organization, with their dedicated service and . The Wandaring Trio asked fellow volunteers on Facebook on what their top reasons why they stay active with LoveYourself. Special guest, Francis Dacanay joined the trio in sharing their sentiments for the organization. All of that while we guess what could be in Miss Wanda's mystery box tonight. Having a Sense of Purpose Being in the HIV advocacy, there is something special when it comes to making positive change in the community without expecting anything back. It's the heart to help, our altruistic practice that makes us feel connected with our humanity. In some respects, our journey as LoveYourself volunteers has enriched our lives with and undoubted sense of purpose. Building Conne...

By Ben Quiaoit A LoveYourself volunteer handing out relief goods to some evacuees at Santa Terersita in Batangas. On a seemingly quiet Sunday, Taal volcano in Batangas suddenly erupted with only few indications, putting people's lives near the danger zone at risk. The  Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) already raised Alert Level 1 status at Taal area as early as March 28, 2019. But on the afternoon of January 12, 2020, its alert level status has been raised rapidly, and was declared at Alert Level 4 at 7:30 p.m. or even before the day ends.   The volcanic activity caused thick clouds of ash and toxic fumes, paralyzing local livelihood, and basic systems for food and water, communication, electricity and transportation. Volcanic particulates reached as far as Metro Manila and even some parts of Central Luzon. This natural incident brought a catastrophic year-starter for the affected people. A soldier helping LoveYourself volunteers to unload the...

By Carlos Diego A. Rozul Complementing the operations and communications efforts of LoveYourself are its engagement activities for both its internal and external stakeholders. It is with the volunteers that LoveYourself maintains its place in the public’s consciousness as an affirming place to start loving themselves. Truly, the volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization. As such, LoveYourself goes out of its way to show its appreciation and enrich its volunteers. They’re after all the heart and soul of the advocacy. Enriching Volunteers The year began with Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) training for volunteers, especially in Victoria by LoveYourself to be more sensitive to people of different SOGIEs. LoveYourself recognizes that even though its volunteers are allies of the LGBTQIA community, that not all may be fully aware and knowledgeable about SOGIE. Trans Deaf LoveYourself volunteer Disney Aguila enthusiastically shared her knowledge on Basic Fil...

By Robert Cimbracruz and Tino Largado New volunteers from Batch Isetu attend the orientation held for the first time at Zendesk Philippines. A total of 41 new volunteers officially joined LoveYourself in an orientation event held on July 20, 2019 at Zendesk Philippines, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. Bearing the name Isetu, this fresh wave of volunteers were welcomed by a group of volunteers led by HIV Counselor Cedric Labiano. It stands as the second batch of volunteers joining LoveYourself, and the 23rd overall in the organization’s eighth year. The day-long orientation event officially marked the start of Batch Isetu’s journey of promoting education to eradicate stigma, fostering self-love and self-care, and serving the community. As LoveYourself remains resolute in its mission of embracing, nurturing, and promoting self-worth to create ripples of positive change in the community, enlisting the new volunteers of Batch Isetu will surely strengthen this cause. Accordin...

By Ruben Jay C. Alvarez Jr. If you happen to be part of the LGBT community and an advocate of diversity and inclusion, you definitely have an idea of one of the spectrums of the rainbow, the transgender people. With all the heat that is going on inside the senate regarding the passing of the Anti-Discrimination Bill and the hatred and bigotry flowing on social media, it is good to have a glimpse on some of the things we need to understand about our friends from the transgender community. We may not have experienced their struggles, but that doesn’t mean we need not be empathetic; that is humanity. I talked to Yanyan and Bubbles, both LoveYourself volunteers, and asked them to share a part of their life with us, plus tell us why the new Victoria Health and Wellness Center that focuses on transgender persons is such a groundbreaking project. When did you realize that you are a transgender woman? Yanyan: I was a late bloomer. Years ago, I experienced depression, which I believed was due...