The Department of Education and the UN children’s agency UNICEF raises the alarm on the rising cases of STI and HIV infections in young Filipinos. Recent findings reveal that the Philippines is currently witnessing an increase of new HIV infection as never before. Reported infections among 15-24 year old Filipinos increased five-fold from 41 in 2007 to 218 in 2009, according to the DoH AIDS Registry.

To respond to the need for immediate action, DepEd and UNICEF launched today an innovative, interactive approach to help young people learn about risky behaviours, STI, HIV and AIDS. The Power of You, an innovative educational campaign aimed toward high school students follows the story of Francis and Sara, typical teens who face big challenges everyday. The interactive video allows users to choose the path that their characters will take, through decision points depicting drama and humor of a normal teenager’s life.

Apart from rising cases of infection, national surveys also reveal that misperceptions about HIV still prevail among Filipino youth, and more of them are engaging in pre-marital sexual activity. The 2003 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey (YAFSS) showed that 28% of young adults thought that AIDS is curable while 73% thought that they are immune to HIV. Overall prevalence of sexual activity increased from 18 to 23% between 1994 and 2002.

This substantial increase in new HIV infections and lack of information on HIV and AIDS is a cause for concern not only for the Philippine government but more so for young Filipinos.

As enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely signed international treaty safeguarding children’s rights, children have the right to information at the right time to enable them to lead happy, healthy lives. UNICEF and the Department of Education recognize this right and are taking serious steps to equip high school students with important life skills that can help them stay healthy and safe from infections like STI and HIV. The video carries the message for young people to delay sexual debut and educate themselves and their peers about HIV and STIs.

“Today, young people learn things better if information is presented to them in a novel and exciting way, and Power of You does just that. It is designed to raise awareness on STI and HIV among young people in a fun and interactive light. It motivates them to choose life-saving actions and focuses on the power of individual choice to make their dreams and ambitions come true,” Vanessa Tobin, UNICEF Representative said.

The high school campaign will involve the conduct of learning sessions using an interactive video. In a learning session, a trained facilitator will guide the students in “Choosing the Life” of a teenager. The main characters in the video will experience significant situations which require critical decisions. The students will be asked to decide the fate of the main character. Each choice will result in a new situation. The facilitator will give appropriate information bits after each decision. The project will be rolled out and implemented by DepEd with assistance from UNICEF.

“The Department of Education signifies its commitment to a long-term, sustainable program targeting education and prevention. We are encouraging teachers to integrate programs like Power of You in their school improvement plans and foster an environment of openness wherein young people can talk about the problems that they typically encounter as they go about teenage life,” DepEd’s Bureau of Secondary Education Director Dr. Lolita Andrada said.

The Power of You campaign is initially piloted in 29 public schools in the National Capital Region, Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, Olongapo and Masbate. The campaign aims to reach at least 12,000 high school students in the first year of 2010.

For more information and to get copies of the Power of You interactive video on DVD, please contact:

Marge Francia
Communication Specialist, UNICEF Philippines
Tel: ++632 9010173, ++ 632 917.858.9447
mfrancia@unicef.org

Angela Travis
Chief of Communication, UNICEF Philippines
Tel: ++632 901-0177, ++632 917.867.8366
atravis@unicef.org