No condom distribution in any Region 8 school

PALO, LEYTE, Philippines — The Department of Health-Region 8 has declared that there will be no condom distribution in any school around Eastern Visayas.

DOH-8 assistant regional director Paula Paz Sydiongco told reporters in press conference that her office will not distribute condom this year to any school in Eastern Visayas because the region was not selected by the DOH for such.

Sydiongco further explained that the planned condom distributions in schools will only be done in regions where cases of HIV-AIDS are high, just like those in the National Capital Region.

The planned distribution of condoms by the DOH is part of its effort to address the growing HIV-AIDS cases of the country, Sydiongco said.

HIV-AIDS cases in Eastern Visayas is less than one percent of the total cases in the country, the reason why the region was not included in condom distribution, she said.

Since 1984 up to the present, there were only 370 HIV-AIDS cases. As of 2015, there were about 89 cases reported with eight deaths, Sydiongco added. (FREEMAN)