#WorldAIDSDay: Pia & Catriona Champion Health Equity to End HIV

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

 

December 1 marks the 34th commemorative celebration of World AIDS Day.

 

Miss Universe titleholders Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray join forces in championing health equity to end HIV.

 

In a video entitled: “We Stand With You,” posted on LoveYourselfTV, the Youtube channel of LoveYourself, Inc., Wurtzbach and Gray are shown side by side to amplify the community’s voice against misinformation, social stigma, and discrimination, and all other issues that come with it.

 

Gray said, “Forty years have passed, and the HIV epidemic still lingers with us, and the more it stays, the more it affects us all.” She also mentioned that solutions to fight HIV infection are already available but with limited reach.

 

 Wurtzbach explained, “The advances in science offer us protection against HIV, no matter our status.” She highlighted the available HIV prevention methods, such as condoms with water-based lube, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).

 

The beauty queen ambassadors stressed that HIV treatment works and there is a need to enable a safer society for people living with HIV (PLHIV) to access treatment and achieve an undetectable viral load status.

 

“Undetectable is equal to Untransmittable. U equals U,” the ambassadors simultaneously said, which is a global tagline demonstrating that with adherence to treatment, PLHIV cannot pass on the virus to their sexual partners.

 

Besides Wurtzbach and Gray, other LoveYourself ambassadors like Miss Universe Philippines 2022 Celeste Cortesi, Miss International Philippines 2022 Hannah Arnold, Mister Gay World 2021 Joel Rey Carcasona, Miss Universe 2019 Gazini Ganados, and many more community advocates all over the Philippines stand with the community to raise awareness about the advocacy.

 

Watch the entire video message here: bit.ly/WeStandPiaCatriona.

 

This Thursday, LoveYourself will also mount the World AIDS Day: The Advocates Day event at Eastwood Mall Central Plaza at 6 PM, recognizing and honoring advocates from all over the Philippines.

Wurtzbach and Gray are staunch advocates of HIV awareness and prevention globally and have been volunteering for LoveYourself, Inc. for years now.

 

Moreover, Wurtzbach will also headline the World AIDS Day Rainbow Run Festival and Concert in Cebu City on December 3. To register, visit the LoveYourself Cebu Facebook page.

DOST-SEI launches FINDING NORTH IN STEM: A Career Guidebook for Students

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Discovering career roadmap in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is made easier for the Filipino youth through the inauguration of a STEM Career Guidebook, the first in the country, courtesy of the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI).

In celebration of the 2022 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW), the DOST-SEI launched FINDING NORTH IN STEM – a handy reference and assessment tool carefully crafted and designed to guide Filipino students into the STEM careers that fit their skills and interests.

Featuring a variety of career specializations that go beyond the popular fields, the Guidebook aims to develop a culture of science and technology among the youth, promote STEM education, and popularize careers that are unfamiliar to many. It specifically highlights STEM courses that are covered by the DOST-SEI scholarship programs for both undergraduate and graduate levels.

The launching event held on the 24th of November 2022 is a product of a fruitful collaboration between the DOST-SEI and the University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED) through the Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Mathematics Education and Research (FPSMER). This joint effort to produce the useful material transpires under the project “#Push4Science: Maging DOST Scholar Ka! Campaign”, which aims to promote STEM careers and DOST Scholarship Programs to priority municipalities.

UP NISMED representatives, spearheaded by Director Dr. Sheryl Monterola, led the demonstration on how to navigate on the Guidebook. A toolkit for teachers and a guide for parents will also be available soon. The toolkit aims to empower the teachers with the right knowledge to help their students go over the guidebook, while the quick guide hopes to introduce STEM to parents.

The DOST-SEI trusts that the STEM Career Guidebook would serve as a solid compass that could enlighten, comfort, and reassure clarity in the future of the Filipino youth
“We envision that this guidebook will allow the students to realize their inner potential in STEM and help the country attain a critical mass of science and technology professionals. We hope that it will spark interest among the youth to take part in the highly competitive and tech-driven world and contribute towards elevating our country’s adaption to this new era,” said Dr. Josette Biyo, Director of DOST-SEI.

Dr. Monterola also thanked DOST-SEI for the opportunity to prepare the youth to be more pro-active in choosing their own career paths. “This guidebook is not only for students already interested in STEM, but this book will also be impactful to those who are not yet certain about which path to take in college. This is our way of extending our hands to the future, making sure that we really participate in building the critical mass of productive workforce in science.”

It is hoped that the STEM Career Guidebook could remind the Filipino youth about the essence of a careful career planning and challenge them to thread in the right direction.

The guidebook is accessible through the official website of the DOST-SEI at https://bit.ly/3ilxOK1. (30)

DICT Chief Inducts Philippine Blockchain Council

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The first Philippine Blockchain Week comes alive today as Secretary Ivan John Uy of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) speaks at the conference.

The inaugural event featured the biggest names in blockchain technology, cryptocurrency and Web 3 at Marriott Grand Ballroom, Newport World Resorts, Pasay City, Philippines.

As part of the Philippine Blockchain Week in Manila from November 28 to December 4, 2022, Secretary Uy led the induction rites of the newly created Blockchain Council of the Philippines.

Secretary Uy cited the commitment of DICT to continually unravel the potential of Filipinos, strengthening the commitments of both public and private sectors, and matching it with the right technologies, policies, and other enabling mechanisms to build a digital economy that our fellow Filipinos and international investors can trust.

Building the country’s digital economy is a significant step towards building a digitalized Philippines— a Philippines that has risen from poverty, a Philippines where everyone is connected, a Philippines that is built for the digital era. This is the dream that I share with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, said Secretary Uy. He is joined by DICT ICT Industry Development Undersecretary Jocelle Batapa-Sigue at the opening day.

Dr. Donald Lim, lead convenor of the event said, “The government plays a crucial role in our aim of promoting blockchain education in the country and highlighting the Philippines as the blockchain hub in Asia. We are very grateful for government's support to this endeavor as we bring the international business community’s attention to the Philippines.”

“It gives us a sense of pride to see the thought leaders and practitioners from the media, technology, and creative fields gathered for the first event of this kind here. We are thankful that they are taking the time to share their experiences and the advantages of Web3 technology to Filipinos. We strongly believe that the country can benefit from this technology, and we would be learning a lot from our distinguished panel of speakers,” said Dr. Lim, who will also give a talk today about “Philippines as the Blockchain Capital of Asia: Why the Philippines and Why Now