CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach leads the grand launch of an HIV community center in Cagayan de Oro City on Monday (26 August 2019).
Named after the former Miss Universe titleholder, the Oro Pia community center offers a safe space for Kagayanons and all other individuals who seek to have themselves checked for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and other sexually transmitted infections for free.
Run and operated by local community-based organization Kagay-an PLUS – Preserving Life, Uniting Society, Inc., the Oro Pia is located at the Gates 2 and 3 of Nuevas Bldg. 8th – 21st Street Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro City. The center is open every Wednesdays to Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
“The HIV advocacy has a huge place in my heart, not only because of the people I know who are affected by it, but the epidemic is rapidly increasing and now affecting my fellow kababayan in Cagayan de Oro,” said Wurtzbach, who is also the UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific.
The ambassador further said, “I’m grateful for my LoveYourself family together with our partner Kagay-an PLUS, Inc. in naming the center after me, but more than that, the creation of Oro Pia is truly a timely and relevant response to curb the HIV epidemic in CDO.”
“We want to raise awareness and change people’s mindsets to see sexual health services as a regular way of our lives, like a regular health routine. It’s free and confidential.”
According to the Department of Health – Epidemiology Bureau, there is a total of 1,392 of total reported HIV cases in Region 10 for the month of March, 2019 alone.
Enrique Nino L. Patricio, Executive Director of KPLUS said, “We need to push our efforts towards reaching out to the key affected populations to know their HIV status, because there are people who are willing to help.”
“If they tested negative then, we will empower them to stay negative, but if they turned out positive, we are here to facilitate their HIV journey,” Patricio added.
Kagay-an PLUS Inc.’s Oro Pia can be reached thru phone nos.: 088-881-4011 or 09569362544, and through its Facebook page at fb.com/kagayanplus2015.
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
