THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has endorsed a bill in the House of Representatives that seeks to amend Republic Act 8504, otherwise known as the Philippines AIDS Prevention Control Act of 1998, to strengthen the country’s comprehensive policy on the prevention and control of the disease.
In a six-page position paper forwarded to Nationalist People’s Coalition Rep. Alfredo Maranon III of Negros Occidental, House Committee on Health chairman, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima stressed that the amendment of RA 8504 has become urgent in light of the worsening HIV and AIDS situation in the country.
De Lima noted that based on the 2010 Global AIDS report released by the UNAIDS, the country was one of the seven nations in the world which reported over 25 percent in new HIV infections between 2001 and 2009.
Records of the Department of Health (DOH), on the other hand, showed there are 8,576 HIV cases, including 975 patients with full-blown AIDS recorded from 1984 to January 2012.
While the country’s HIV and AIDS cases have been steadily increasing, de Lima said other countries have either stabilized or shown significant declines in the rate of new new infections.
“Among all countries in Asia, Philippines is one of two, the other being Bangladesh, that are now reporting increases in HIV cases, with others either stable or decreasing,” she said.
The justice department also made several suggestions on the bill such as the insertion of a provision that would provide for mechanisms that would provide infected persons easy access to legal remedies, particularly with regard to the protection of their human rights and civil liberties. (Joel San Juan)
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
September –
5 Sept – Intl Day of Charity
7 Sept – Intl Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
8 Sept – International Literacy Day
12 Sept – United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 Sept – International Day of Democracy
16 Sept – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
17 Sept – World Patient Safety Day
18 Sept – International Equal Pay Day
21 Sept – International Day of Peace
26 Sept – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 Sept – World Tourism Day
28 Sept – International Day for Universal Access to Information
29 Sept – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
30 Sept – World Maritime Day
Monthly Observances:
Health, Safety and Sanitation Month
National Clean-up Month
Civil Service Month
National Peace Consciousness Month
Social Security Month
Rule of Law Month
National Teachers’ Month (Sept 5-Oct 4)
Weekly Observances:
Sept 17 – 23:
World Clean and Green Week
Week 2: Education Week
Week 4: Medicine Week
Last Week: National Family Week
Daily Observances:
Third Saturday:
International Coastal Clean-up Day
Third Monday: World Health Day
Last Friday: National Maritime Day
Sept 8: National Literacy Day
Sept 15: Philippine Medicine Day
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