On HIV awareness

Some church and academe participants collaborated in the recent Pastoral Training on HIV and AIDS held at the Beatetrio de Mindanao, Juna Subdivision.

The gathering centered on different topics such as understanding the gender, sex and sexuality, theology of the body and Church response in the continued increasing of people living with HIV, etc.

As a facilitator, I am happy that the participants showed enthusiasm in their participation. I chose 5 of them and asked these following questions:

1. What are your realizations?
2. What is your understanding about the training?
3. What is your message?

Below are some of the answers:

Facilitator/Speaker: Gerlie Condino-Enrera, RSW
Wood Water Center for Healing
CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Health Care

1. Marami pang gagawin kung ang pag-uusapan ang HIV at AIDS. Yung mode of transmission, paano ito nakakahawa, the banking from the family, at marami pa. It is a challenge to us especially tayong mga nagbibigay ng training na mapaintindi sa lahat na hindi ito dapat katakutan.
2. The participants would know and understand what’s the purpose of this training and after this training they could help especially the PLHIV.
3. Strengthening the awareness in the community and the needs to prepare. We have to do something to develop the love and compassion of Jesus to them. But the true essence is to stop or decrease the number of new cases.

Participant/Religious: Sr. Ma. Rufel Palarca, RVM
Diocese of Digos

1. I realized my responsibility as religious that we should go out and get involved. The more we are involved to our society you response just to think but as person.
2. The readiness when I became a religious I entrusted to God myself. It is not we, but Him.
3. To be involved religiously and to get involved

Participant/Mother: Emma Peligro
Diocese of Tagum

1. That children be taught, know and learn their responsibility. They should always remember that they have choices.
2. Actually I am not interested, I am challenged, to spread, share HIV awareness to the younger population.
3. Mahalin ang taong may HIV at AIDS

Participant/Educator: Pricilla Madula-Senoc
Health Education and Promotion officer III
City Health Office, Davao City
Archdiocese of Davao

1. Daghan pa gyud tag dapat himoon sa hisgutanang HIV prevention. Deep within me naa pa gihapon clarification of values. Hisgutanang prevention, dapat it’s collective effort dili lang naka point nga responsibility sa city health office but a social responsibility.
2. My very intention, is how can I integrate faith in giving HIV education. Kasi very important man siya, how can I manifest that faith through giving education. Kini man akong nakita nga kulang sa akong paghatag. I would integrate i-marry ang akong knowledge and strategies nga in layman’s term mas masabtan ko sa mga tao, akong participants. Faith naa gyud sa tao. Importante na as Christian, naa pod koy pagtoo.
3. We can work together collectively kay ang issue nga HIV since it is lifetime infection, kung dili nato ni siya madeal basi unya og moboto lang ni one day we will wake up we all have HIV. Dapat karon palang daan ang prevention is better because we do not know what will happen in terms of budget sa medicine. We all have, each and every one of us responsible ta to educate people. We have to walk the talk. We advocate, we change values. PLHIV is naa pod na silay kaugalingon battle, pakiggira sa kinabuhi. We need to go through with them and live with them, journey with them for us to understand what they go through.

Participant/Son: John Ralf M. Teman
Diocese of Tagum

1. As for the event, experiences, especially the exercises we had yesterday, for me as a son being had that role played I felt difficult because after disclosure you won’t know what will happen next, especially rejection o kaya murag i-isolate ka sa uban.
2. About HIV and AIDS wala gyud koy idea. Actually accident lang nga gipadala ko diri sa Maryknoll in order for me to see, kay I’m working a socio-pastoral, unsa may mabuhat nako sa akong community, relating, as presented nga ingon ani na kalala, ingon niini ang possible mahitabo, ingon ani diay kalisod, unya wala ko kabalo basin in the community where I belong, naa diay.
3. This is a reality of our generation. What we should do is, to face it with a heart and accept it wholeheartedly because this is what Jesus wanted us to show love, mercy, compassion to those who are afflicted.

(Gary Guivencan)