LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GOOD MORNING.

IT IS ALWAYS AN
HONOR FOR ME TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF THE BRILLIANT STUDENTS
OF THE COURSE CLASS 25-2018. FURTHER, I WOULD LIKE TO
INFORM YOU THAT I AM NOT A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER, IM NOT A
DOCTOR IM JUST AN ORDINARY PERSON WHO WAS ALARMED ON
THE WIDESPREAD CASES BROUGHT BY HUMAN
IMMUNODEFFIENCY VIRUS A.K.A. HIV INPECTIONS IN THE
PHILIPPINES. AS WE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT
PERMANENTLY ASSIGN IN ONE DISTRICT/ UNITS. AS A MATTER OF
COMPANY POLICY, WE ARE ROTATED ON THE REGULAR BASIS IN
THE DIFFERENT UNITS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY AND WE ARE
PRONE TO HIV INFECTIONS AND OTHER SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED
DESEASES (STD). WE SHOULD ADMIT IN OUR SELF THAT SOME OF
US ARE ENGAGED ON AN EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES/
OFTENLY GOING TO NIGHT CLUBS, BAR HOPPINGS AND WEB
DATING, MEETING A PERSON WITHOUT KNOWING THAT HE OR SHE
MAYBE A CARRIER OF HIV AND OTHER SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED
DISEASE (STD).

ALLOW ME TO PICTURE OUT TO YOU THE LATEST ABOUT THIS KIND

OF DESEASE. THOUGH YOU WOULDN’T KNOW IT FROM THE MEDIA,
THE PHILIPPINES IS IN THE MIDST OF AN ALARMING PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS. IT IS AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE WITH ITS GROWING
NUMBERS OF HIV CASES. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
STUDIES INDICATE THAT, ONCE PREVALENCE RATES EXCEED 5%,
THE SPREAD OF THE INFECTION BECOMES PRACTICALLY
UNSTOPPABLE. CURRENTLY, CEBU CITY HAS 7.7% PREVALENCE
RATE, FOLLOWED BY MANILA WITH 6.7%, QUEZON CITY WITH 6.6%
AND CALOOCAN WITH 5.3%, ALL OF THESE ARE OVER THE LINE,
WHILE IN DAVAO CITY HAS 5.0% AND CAGAYAN DE ORO HAS 4.7%
PREVALENCE RATE, RESPECTIVELY. WHY THIS RISE IN HIV CASES,
AND WHY THE DEAFENING SILENCE AROUND IT? PERHAPS, ONE
REASON HAS BEEN THE FACT THAT IT IS A DISEASE THAT HAS SO
FAR IMPACTED PRIMARILY MEN HAVING SEX WITH MEN (MSM) AND
SEX WORKERS OF VARIOUS SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS. AT THE SAME
TIME, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT, LIKE ALL SEXUALLY
TRANSMITTED DISEASES, HIV CAN READILY INFECT ALL OTHER
MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY, CREATING A PANDEMIC THAT WE
IGNORE AT OUR PERIL. INDEED, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
(DOH)’S NATIONAL HIV/STD PREVENTION PROGRAM WARNS OF A
“CONCENTRATED HIV EPIDEMIC” IN OUR CITIES. WHY SHOULD I
SAY THESE TO YOU?

I JUST WANT TO REITERATE GENTLEMEN AND LADIES, MOST

ESPECIALLY TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION, WE MUST UPHOLD
UTMOST DISCIPLINE AND PROFESSIONALISM AT ALL TIMES.
ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND THAT ALL OF OUR ACTIVITIES WHETHER
RIGHT OR WRONG COULD REFLECT AND DAMAGED THE DIGNITY
AND INTEGRITY OF OUR BELOVED ORGANIZATION. WE SHOULD
THINK TWICE, IN DEALING WITH THIS KIND OF HABITS, THE IMPACT
OF IT ONCE YOU HAVE ACQUIRED THIS VIRUS WILL SURELY
INFLICT A SEVERE DAMAGES NOT ONLY TO THE ORGANIZATION
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO YOUR PERSONALITY, YOUR
CHILDREN AND YOUR FAMILY.
WITH THAT, I THINK I HAVE CONSUMED MY TIME, ONCE AGAIN
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND HAVE A
BLESSED MORNING TO ALL OF US.

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