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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 m...

Contrary to the perceptions of many, homosexuality is not necessarily condemned by the Church. In fact, the experiences of three LoveYourself volunteers - Rye Tumbaga, Gibs de los Santos, and Geno Maglinao, point to the Church as a safe place of acceptance and love. By Kris Tangco In a TV5 interview in February 2016, Manny Pacquiao, who was then running for the Senate, provoked a storm of controversy with his views on same-sex marriage and relationships. Homosexuals are “worse than animals,” the conservative Christian said on national television, quoting the Bible as reference for his statements. Social media was abuzz for several weeks, and the divisiveness was palpable. Articles from writers like Shakira Sison of Rappler started resurfacing, strongly advocating support for same sex marriage. In one article , the staunch defender of LGBT rights bemoans those who claim to be friends with LGBTs insofar as they are “funny for calling out what’s wrong with [that girl’s] outfit” but are a...

We chat with one of LoveYourself’s most dedicated volunteers, who proves that a positive perspective and can-do attitude go a long way. By Teejay Castro Jemuel Titan , more popularly known as “Jamie Well Titan,” or just simply “Jem,” has been consistently counseling for more than a year as a volunteer at LoveYourself. His dedication to guiding others in finding out their HIV status has made him one of the top counselors of LoveYourself Anglo, having helped over three hundred clients. More than being a dedicated volunteer, there is something in Jem that makes anyone feel at ease with him. His exuberant personality and bright smile make it seem that he is always having a good time. His enthusiasm for the advocacy has given him much opportunity to shine and to learn - beyond counseling, he has consistently helped out in this year’s Incognito and Incognito 2.0 mass testing events. His inclination to arts and crafts has produced numerous adorable bead creations that are used as ornaments a...

By Jan Gabriel Castañeda The HIV crisis has gone on for four decades, and for four decades the world has struggled against it. Doctors, scientists, educators, policy makers, writers, artists -- people of all walks and all colors have, in their own ways, sought to make sense of this crisis and its relationship with society. From citizens to states, from medicine to prayer, from cures to cries for reform, people’s visions of how to respond to the crisis are as diverse as the people who bear its scars. The goal of this series is to give you a glimpse of these visions: the roles people of different passions and disciplines have played in this crisis that, as of March 2016 as recorded by the Department of Health’s Epidemiology Bureau, is infecting 25 Filipinos daily. To call compassion a dangerous temptation is a little odd, but it is something every advocate understands well. It’s the temptation to give without restraint, moved by the moral compulsion to serve a higher purpose and the natu...