Puerto Princesa City, Palawan [October 25, 2025] — The City Health Office of Puerto Princesa, through its Social Hygiene Clinic, in partnership with Roots of Health (Ugat ng Kalusugan), has completed a three-day capacity-building training equipping public school educators with accurate and culturally sensitive knowledge on sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and AIDS.
The citywide training brought together 30 medical officers, nurses, teachers, and guidance counselors from 11 public secondary schools in Puerto Princesa City. The sessions enhanced educators’ competence and confidence to discuss sexual health in classrooms, a strategic prevention measure as Puerto Princesa continues its local HIV response.
“We organized this training so teachers can become the resource and focal persons for STI and HIV education in their own classrooms. There is still a lot of stigma and discomfort around sexual health in schools, and we want to help shift teachers’ perspectives so they see why accurate information should come from them and be integrated into their lessons,” said Regina Villapa, Medical Technologist V of the City Health Office.
Roots of Health HIV Programs Manager RR Morales, who facilitated most of the sessions, highlighted the critical role of schools in prevention. “Fear and misinformation keep people from getting tested or seeking care. By training teachers, we multiply voices that can reduce stigma inside classrooms. When young people feel safe to ask questions early, they are more likely to protect themselves and access services without shame,” Morales said.
The training covered legal frameworks, empathy-based communication, cultural sensitivity, and teaching demonstrations so instructors could practice non-judgmental teaching. It also oriented teachers on the city’s health referral system so they can direct students to appropriate and confidential services when needed.
Morales shared that beyond their stigma-reduction efforts and free community-based screenings, Roots of Health will open a Treatment Hub early next year in Puerto Princesa City. This Hub will be the second HIV care facility in Palawan, alongside the Province’s Red Top Center, and will expand Palaweños access to free and non-judgmental HIV care.
The City Health Office and Roots of Health underscored that strengthening teachers’ capacity, while connecting them to functional referral and treatment systems, is a proactive and cost-effective strategy: when students receive accurate information early, they are more likely to prevent infection, seek testing, and make informed decisions.
Dr. Starlet Rhonadez B. Oriel-Villan of the Department of Education noted that teachers have been requesting capacity-building amid the rise in HIV cases. This year, Palawan was cited for having the youngest HIV-positive individual in the country who contracted the virus through sexual contact. National data show that HIV infections in the Philippines have increased by more than 500% from 2010 to 2023. The Department of Health now records an average of over 50 new cases daily.
Schools that participated in the training include: Palawan National School, Puerto Princesa National Science High School, Marcelino Abadiano Javarez National High School, and the national high schools of Santa Monica, San Jose, Babuyan, Mandaragat, Sta. Lourdes, San Miguel, Sicsican, and Macarascas. ###
