ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/29 September) — House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has filed a bill in Congress seeking the allocation of P400 million to boost the country’s anti-Human Immuno Virus-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) program.
Salazar, this city’s first district representative, said HB 5312 seeks to amend and strengthen the country’s HIV-AIDS prevention and control program which was enacted 13 years ago.
Salazar said that aside from providing more funds, the proposal also mandates the creation of local AIDS Councils “with forceful and concentrated action plans at the regional, provincial, city and municipal levels” and “energizing” the Philippine National Aids Council.
Salazar said that HIV-AIDS is one of the most dreaded disease not only in the Philippines but worldwide.
She noted that the Philippines is one of the seven countries in the world where HIV cases are on the rise.
Other countries with increasing HIV cases are Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, she added.
She stressed prevention is so important since there is no cure yet for HIV-AIDS.
She said the proposed HIV-AIDS action plan includes a “clear-cut mandates for specific agencies to provide certain programs meant to alleviate the conditions of the growing number of Filipinos with HIV.”
HB 5312 was referred to the House committee on health and is up for committee deliberation, Climaco said.
Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, Quezon City Rep. Jorge Banal, Akbayan Rep. Kaka Bag-ao and LPGMA Rep. Arnel Ty have co-authored Salazar’s bill. (MindaNews)