In a significant milestone for human rights advocacy, PAFPI and ACHIEVE partnered to deliver comprehensive legal literacy training. This initiative successfully equips PAFPI-EpiC core and field staff with essential tools to advance legal and human rights advocacy.

PAFPI and ACHIEVE Form Strategic Alliance for Landmark Legal Literacy and Human Rights Training

MANILA, Philippines — In a significant advancement for human rights advocacy in the country, the Philippine Action for STI, HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control, Inc. (PAFPI) and Action for Health Initiatives (ACHIEVE), Inc. recently convened a comprehensive legal literacy training. The three-day capacity-building initiative, held from April 15–17, 2024, at the Bayview Park Hotel in Ermita, Manila, equipped PAFPI-EpiC core and field personnel with the legal mechanisms required to safeguard the rights of People Living with HIV (PLHIV).

This specialized workshop marks a sustained institutional effort to secure the long-term success of the PAFPI-EpiC program, which operates under the auspices of FHI360 and USAID funding. Driven by an organizational mandate to protect vulnerable populations, PAFPI designed this strategic legal literacy training in Manila to fortify grassroots advocacy and reinforce local support networks against stigma and discrimination.

The symposium gathered 32 key stakeholders, comprising PAFPI personnel, civil society organization (CSO) leaders, and Local Government Unit (LGU) representatives from Navotas, Manila, and Valenzuela. These municipalities serve as primary implementation sites for the PAFPI-EpiC program, a project made possible through a generous grant from USAID via FHI360.

The culmination of the three-day event featured a strategic showcase of decentralized HIV/AIDS programs. LGU representatives and field teams presented localized best practices, demonstrating how legal advocacy can be seamlessly integrated into public health frameworks to uphold human rights at the community level.

Among the featured success stories, the Manila Social Hygiene Clinic was recognized as a model implementation site for the PAFPI-EpiC program. Collaborative interventions between PAFPI-EpiC staff and clinical personnel have yielded measurable improvements in patient support. During the plenary sessions, stakeholders outlined their dual-approach framework for facility-based and community-based health advocacy:

Facility-Based Advocacy Initiatives

• Clinical Consultations: Structured medical evaluations and baseline patient assessments.
• Psychosocial Support: Comprehensive pre- and post-test counseling protocols.
• Diagnostic Services: Access to free HIV testing and screening.
• Laboratory Monitoring: Zero-cost diagnostic panels, including CD4 counts, viral load tracking, and STI/OI screenings.
• Therapeutic Access: Free dispensation of essential Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) medications.

Community-Based Outreach Frameworks

• Voluntary Counseling: Mobile counseling units deployed to high-burden areas.
• Socio-Cultural Engagement: Partnership with LGBTQIA+ community platforms, including mobile testing clinics at local events.
• Institutional Care: Humanitarian outreach and testing services for incarcerated PLHIV through an active partnership with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
• Sectoral Screening: Decentralized testing and educational forums hosted across commercial establishments and educational institutions in Manila.

This localized advocacy blueprint directly aligns with national health strategies for HIV prevention and treatment. Specifically, the program structures map onto the Strategic Cluster Approach of the 7th AIDS Medium-Term Plan (AMTP), a policy program enforced by the Philippines National AIDS Council (PNAC):

• Prevent: Prioritizing education and Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) through the strategic distribution of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials.
• Treat: Expanding national and local service delivery networks, utilizing partner CSOs to bridge gaps in screening and ART drug distribution.
• Protect: Championing human rights and social protection by offering pro-bono legal counsel and intervention for survivors of gender-based violence and discrimination, in coordination with legal advocacy groups like ACHIEVE and IDEALS.
• Strengthen and Sustain: Optimizing institutional policy, systems, and healthcare financing through active participation in PNAC initiatives, such as the collaborative development of the national HIV 101 Module.

The training concluded with a detailed plenary review. The program features included a rigorous two-day educational module led by Mara Quesada, Executive Director of ACHIEVE, followed by an interactive workshop and a technical Q&A session where site participants cross-examined local implementation models.

For institutional inquiries, legal referrals, or case consults regarding PLHIV human rights, please coordinate with the respective secretariats at pafpiorg@gmail.com or info@achieve.org.ph.