Philippines will once again hold a candle lighting ceremony on the 26th day of May as the 27th International AIDS Candle Light Memorial participated by the country. The venue will be at the main building of the Department of Foreign Affairs located in Pasay City. The ceremony will start at 2PM and will probably end at 5:30PM.
This event is done for us to remember and give honor to those victims who p(–foul word(s) removed–)ed away for having the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS. It also aims to influence both local and national policy makers as to contribute on how to prevent, care and treat the disease. Another objective is to show support to those communities with individuals living with AIDS as well as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV, and also to strengthen hope for their families worldwide.
The ceremony was expected to be participated by some influential individuals of different organizations from the different parts of the world. The named individuals are Dr. Jacqueline Badcock who is a United Nations Resident Coordinator, Krista Kleiner who became the Binibining Pilipinas-International 2011, Dr. Genesis May Samonte from the Department of Health’s (DOH) National Epidemiology Center, K Brosas who is a celebrity comedienne, and 2 HIV victims who were employed outside the country.
According to the Department of Health, for only 3 months from January to March of the year 2011, there were already 483 new cases of HIV we have in our country. And it was said that 97% of these cases were taken and infected through sexual contacts, which was identified as one of the main reasons why individuals acquire HIV which causes AIDS.
