AIDS cases up in Baguio as Christmas season starts

Alarmed officials monitor nightclubs 

BAGUIO CITY – The city government has started a crackdown and now monitoring nightspots here particularly clubs those which hold ‘sexy shows’ by beautiful women after cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases drastically increased in this tourist city alarming city and regional Health officials.

Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes, head of the Social Hygiene Clinic of the City Health Department, said HIV cases increased by 21 percent or about six or seven cases yearly from 2013.

Most of the new cases came from the sector dubbed “MSM,” meaning men having sex with men.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the city government with Baguio AIDS Watch Council (AWAC) headed by Brillantes is monitoring night spots, clubs here in the city, although these will not be closed.
According to Brillantes, the entertainers were informed about HIV infections and they were tested if they were positive with the infection.

Brilliantes said out of 300 MSMs they checked, nine were found positive of HIV and out of the 5,000 total screened in the city, 12 were found positive of the infection, including a mother and child.

She gave the figures in the recent World AIDS Day celebration at the Baguio Convention Center, which carried the theme “Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infection, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related death” and attracted over 1,000 entertainment and night workers.

The gathering was for the 10th Annual HIV/AIDS Conference in which the importance of avoiding HIV infections was discussed.

Allan Bandoy, president of the Baguio Association of Bars and Entertainers (BABES) said since the onset of the Christmas season, their organization noted a 30-percent increase in the number of night entertainers coming from the lowlands.

Brillantes cited need for continuous monitoring of nightclubs in the city and an intensive information campaign on how HIV is acquired.

“Prohibiting the existence of night spots in the city is not the solution in preventing the occurrence of HIV cases, but instead, the values of every individual is very important to get rid of said infection,” said Domogan.
To prevent HIV infections, it is important to practice the ABC prevention of HIV – abstinence for our young people, be faithful to your partners, and practice careful and responsible sex, Health officials said.

The HSO is carrying out free testing and detection for HIV patients. – With reports from JhoArranz