AHF Philippines Country Program Manager Dr. Ryan C. Guinaran (from rifht), AHF Asia Bureau Deputy Chief Dr. Yugang Bao, and Ms. Loretta Wong, AHF Global deputy chief director for Global Advocacy and Policy, clap during the media briefing on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
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QUEZON CITY, October 26, 2026 (SDN) — Behind every HIV sufferer is a human being, not a mere statistic in the battle against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
HIV is not AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) per se, but its offshoot once the body afflicted with the virus has weakened the body’s immunity to a point of no return.
HIV is not an automatic illness of members of the LBTQ community; the virus can infect or be transmitted to anyone, regardless of age and/or sexual orientation.
HIV has no vaccine or cure, but it can be treated, and sufferers can live a normal life once their viral load reached the stage of being undetectable or untransmissible through sustained application of Antirhetroviral Therapy or ART. Key is continuous treatment.
These are some of the messaging the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Philippines wants to escalate to counter the myths and misconceptions affecting the country’s response to the threat of HIV on Filipinos.
To implement this messaging, the AHF Philippines headed by Country Program Manager Dr. Ryan C. Guinaran conducted a press briefing at its Headquarters here along Scout Castor Street, Barangay Laging Handa, on October 22 dubbed “Empowered Stories: Advancing Accurate, Ethical, and Stigma-Free Reporting on HIV” for a select number of reporters.
Flying in from abroad were Ms. Loretta Wong, deputy chief director for Global Advocacy and Policy at AHF Global, and Dr. Yugang Bao, deputy chief of Asia Bureau, AHF Asia Bureau.
The three AHF executives kicked off the briefing on the continued growth of HIV virus in the country through a photo-op holding a red clock as they pointed to it to signify what they warned is an “HIV ticking time bomb”.
Read: Philippines in the claws of an “HIV ticking time bomb”?
The problem with insensitive, inaccurate, and sensationalized reporting of some members of the Philippine Quad Media has prompted AHF Philippines to come up with and institute its AHF Media Awards to strengthen their understanding of HIV, HIV-related terminology, and key issues affecting people carrying the virus.
Dr. Guinaran’s organization noted in a briefer what they described as the critical role the media plays “in shaping public perception, driving discourse, and influencing health-seeking bbehaviors. In the context of the Philippines’ growing HIV epidemic, accurate and responsible reporting is essential to ensuring that the public receives factual information while protecting the dignity and rights of people living with and affected by HIV.” — EDD K. USMAN /SDN
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This story will be updated for more details and information.